Lady of Touya
by Kio
Summary: Li Meilin, 17, is arranged to wed one of the most powerful mages in the world, but it's not Syaoron. She despises whoever will have to take her hand. She, who is one of the most respected, will find out that she is destined to be a Kinomoto.
1. Meeting with a Stranger

Meeting with a Stranger  
  
  
  
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"Don't I have any say in this?!"  
  
"No, you don't. The wedding will be in two weeks," Yelen said calmly, sitting behind her desk in her study. Her niece came into her study late at night, just receiving the news that she was in an arranged marriage.  
  
"But - -"  
  
Yelen rose from her seat with her hair and robes swishing and walked over to a seventeen-year-old girl with long black hair and ruby eyes. She was wearing a black and red sundress, looking down at the floor. Putting her hand on the girl's chin, she raised her head and gave the girl a gentle look.  
  
"Niece, it is not the time to rebel. Though you are still very young, you will marry," she said. The girl shook her head and looked down again while Yelen was trying to understand why the girl was behaving this way. "Married life isn't all about carrying a child or housework, if that is what you are worrying about. You are to be his protector as well."  
  
"But it's not love," the girl murmured.  
  
Yelen sighed, "You will grow to love him."  
  
"And if I don't?"  
  
"You will, Niece, because you must," Yelen replied sitting back down behind her desk.  
  
"And if I refuse to love him?" the girl asked stubbornly.  
  
Yelen sighed, "That is not what matters. You will marry him so you will protect him. He will be important to the clan."  
  
"Is that the only reason?" the girl said with silent rage, "To protect him? What about me? What do I get from this? The satisfactory that one complete stranger from a different country lives a safe, healthy long life?"  
  
"It will bring honor to the clan and yourself. He will be important to us. He has magic, powerful magic. It is important that he will be part of the clan and that his blood stream will be carried into the family. The Elders think it is best for the clan, the family, and you. This is your destiny. You are destined to marry him."  
  
The girl clenched her fists. "Stop repeating yourself and defending the Elders' decisions with the same excuses! How is this the best for me? It's always about the clan, the magic, the power, and if the Elders get what they want. It's always about destiny and fate and how 'things weren't meant to be'!" The ruby-eyed girl tried to blink away her tears. "The Elders are ignorant! They try to play God and forge a person's destiny onto someone for their purposes, but their 'destinies' they ASSIGN never worked out!"  
  
"Niece! Calm yourself! Do not speak disrespectfully about the Elders!" Yelen said firmly, but the girl did not stop.  
  
"Like the time when they said it was Xiao Lang's destiny to be the master of the card and my destiny to marry him! That didn't work out did it? He's now engaged with the Card Mistress. And how my enemy was to be the lover of my 'husband-to-be'. The Card Mistress is MY FRIEND!" The girl's voice began to rise. "And how they said I was destined not to have magical blood in me! How I was suppose to carry a child of magic instead of becoming one! That would be my only purpose! Well if that was true and the Elders were all knowing then how come I could do this?!"  
  
The girl opened her arms and red orbs started floating around the girl, spinning around her and increasing in size as if they were to explode. Her hair started to flair and her body started to rise into the air.  
  
"Stop this! Control yourself!" Yelen exclaimed, taking out her fan and swiping it, giving a gust of wind wrapping it around the girl encasing her in a bubble, and bringing her back down to the ground as the red orbs diminished away. The girl was crying. "You will marry him, Niece! This IS your destiny and you will bring honor to the clan."  
  
"But I don't love him!" she said in a soft harsh voice.  
  
"You will see that does not matter. Do not be selfish! You will marry him, niece."  
  
"Selfish?" the girl cried out in disbelief and agony, "How is trying to escape the world where my life is controlled SELFISH?"  
  
Yelen ignore her rhetorical question, "Niece, you will marry him!"  
  
"I don't love him. I don't even know him! Out of all people you would be the one to know that I wanted to marry out of love!" the girl countered back.  
  
Yelen Li narrowed her eyes, "Of course I know, but do you really think that would work out? Your heart, Niece, blinds you. You claimed you do not love my son, Xiao Lang, the way it was to be before he has given HIS heart to the Card Mistress, but I still see you love him, giving you reason to fight out of this arrangement."  
  
The girl bit her lip and murmured, "I do not love Xiao Lang, Aunt."  
  
"Do no lie, Niece, not to me or to yourself. Like you have said, he has fallen for the Card Mistress, not you and you even had a chance to move on to someone else, you have not, so the Elders decided to move for you. It is your duty to carry out their orders. They expect you to fulfill them."  
  
"How can you expect me to do this, Aunt Yelen?" she yelled out.  
  
"How? Because I can and do! You are a Li and not just a Li, you are one of the direct members of the family with direct blood. You have pureness in you and also great power. You have just demonstrated a minor version of what you can do only a few minutes ago! Imagine how your child would be like combined with his?"  
  
"If I chose to have a child, my child WILL NOT be some kind of breeding where you match up what you want! I am not a dog! How could you even say anything like that?"  
  
"Meilin this isn't about you. This is about the clan."  
  
"How can you do this to me! You're my aunt!"  
  
Yelen put a hand to her head, trying to soothe a headache coming up, "You will marry him in two week, niece. No more objections or rebellion. The papers were already signed."  
  
"I don't even know him! I don't LOVE him!"  
  
"It does not matter! What must be done, MUST be done!"  
  
"I refuse!" the girl tried again will tears rolling down her cheeks. She knew she has already been defeated and said those two words in vain.  
  
"You have no choice. You have until morning put yourself together. He will arrive tomorrow in the evening." She started walking toward the exit of her study, leaving the girl on the floor to cry and let her emotions out. Yelen looked over her shoulder when she reached the doorway at her niece. The girl's long hair hid her face as her shoulders shook as she silently sobbed.  
  
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Meilin," Yelen thought to herself, "This is the way it has to be."  
  
  
  
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Meilin sat up in her bed with her knees tucked up to her chest. In two weeks she will be married, to a complete stranger. She will marry a complete stranger, that she does not love and does not want to love, that has powerful magic, and has to protect.  
  
'If he's so powerful, then why can't he protect himself?' she asked sadly to herself. 'He's coming tomorrow,' she thought and winced, 'Must bring the honor to the clan. I should sleep.' Meilin looked out of the window, 'I have to make myself presentable by tomorrow afternoon.' She slipped out of her sundress and went underneath her thick blanket bare, naked. This is how she always slept. Naked, bare and very vulnerable to the kind of men who were perverted and hormone-driven in the Li clan, but after one attempt only two years ago, they decided not to come back, or face the wrath of the rest of the clan, Xiao Lang, the Card Mistress, Yelen, and worse . . . herself.  
  
'I will marry in one two weeks,' thought Meilin before drifting off into sleep. She let a few tears drip onto her pillow, 'I will marry him to protect him,' she repeated what Yelen has said. She started to cry softly, 'Oh, god. Why did I have to grow up?' She closed her eyes and drifted off into a tranquil sleep.  
  
--- --- --- Dream --- --- ---  
  
Meilin opened her eyes and smiled. She was in a childish traditional Chinese red robe, with her hair in a long childish ponytail. In front of her was a replica of the Penguin Park in Tomoeda, Japan. This was her safe haven, the place she goes to in her dreams. Giving a meaningful smile to no one in particular, she ran toward the swing set and started swinging as if she was a small child.  
  
A child. Meilin acted as if she were a small child again, with no worries about the troubles of her adult like life. She started pumping her legs, swinging higher and higher, laughing playfully. She loved how the wind blew through her hair as she swung back and forth. This was perfect.  
  
'Maybe getting married won't be so bad,' she thought, 'I'll always be able to come back here and forget about him, who ever he'll be.' Meilin was so into her thoughts she didn't notice a tall figure approach her.  
  
"May I join you?" the person asked. It was a he judging from his deep masculine like voice. In the dark, she couldn't see his face, but his body frame revealed that he was a guy. Even if she could only see his body frame, he looked, vaguely familiar.  
  
Meilin became a little panicked. No one ever was here in her special place in her mind before, but then realized like always, this was a dream. Playing along, she stopped swinging and nodded. The figure sat down on the swing beside her and started swinging slowly and not so high. A shooting star flew across the dream sky.  
  
"Make a wish," he said softly. Meilin smiled and closed her eyes and made a wish. He looked at her, "What did you wish for?"  
  
"I can't tell. I'm not allowed. It won't come true," she told him childishly.  
  
She could tell he was smiling even if she couldn't see his face, "I can make it come true probably." Meilin was about to protest, saying he won't be able to, but she remembered this is a dream, make-believe. It would be fun to play along.  
  
"I wish I could play like a child and not worry about things like arranged marriages and destinies.  
  
"You're engaged?" the boy asked with question in his voice. Meilin just nodded. "Hm, okay."  
  
"Okay what?" Meilin asked as she started swinging up high again.  
  
"I'll grant your wish," he said simply.  
  
Meilin skidded to a stop. "What?"  
  
"I'll grant your wish. Don't you want it?" he asked a little confused to how Meilin was reacting to him. She bit her bottom lip confused as well, but nodded. He got up from the swing. "Good. Follow me." He grabbed her hand and ran toward the grass.  
  
Grabbing her waist, he picked her up and spun her around. Making Meilin laugh with cheerfulness. Bringing her back on her feet, he grabbed her hands and started to spin again, falling down onto the ground with dizziness. He pulled up the grass and threw some into her hair, making her throw some right back at him. A grass fight struck out and they chased each other with clumps of grass in their hands and hair.  
  
They went back to the swings, letting the boy push Meilin up and down. Up and down. The boy was just looking at her contently.  
  
"So who are you engaged to?" he asked as he pushed her.  
  
"I don't know," she replied sadly as she slowed to a stop. "It's arranged." Tears welled up in her eyes and she hoped the stranger didn't notice, but he saw a crystal like tear escape her. He stopped the swing and gave her a snuffling hug.  
  
"I know how you feel," he comforted. Meilin started to blush at the closeness once more as she heard his deep-throated chuckle, "Look at me. I'm holding you as if I am in love with you."  
  
Meilin laughed quietly, "Yes, you are."  
  
"So who are you? Why are you here in my dream?"  
  
Meilin stopped laughing and stiffened, "Your dream? What are you talking about, 'your dream'. This, this is MY dream. You're in my dream." She stepped back, shaking her head in disbelief. "What's going on? Who are you? This is my place, my safe haven. You said I'm in your dream when you are really in mine. This isn't right. Something is wrong." She kept babbling on. "Oh god, you're real." she said finally, turned around and ran as fast as she could away. She ignored his pleas for her to wait and come back. She needed to get out of her dream.  
  
Coming to a cliff with water at the bottom she dived, hoping this was the way out of her dream. She felt the cool water splash over her as the blackness came over her as well . . .  
  
  
  
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To be continued . . . 


	2. Stealing First Kisses

Stealing First Kisses  
  
  
  
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Meilin jerked up feeling cold and wet. Looking up she saw a group of people in front of her.  
  
"Hi Meilin-chan! Hope you had a good rest!" Sakura chirped while holding Syaoran's hand. Beside the couple were Tomoyo and Eriol. Eriol was behind Tomoyo with his chin on her head smiling at how wet Meilin was while Tomoyo was recording it. Behind them was Yue protectively wrapping his arms around Nakuru/Ruby Moon with and semi ice-cold face. Meilin inwardly winced at how all of them were in couples.  
  
'Yuck,' she said inwardly.  
  
By the windowsill was Spiniel, reading one of Clow's old magic books from her bookshelf and the chibi form of the Sun guardian, Kero. He was holding a silver bucket. Meilin narrowed her eyes. Meilin immediately forgot about her dream.  
  
Taking a deep breath, she yelled, "YOU BAKA STUFFED ANIMAL! YOU GOT ME WET!" She grabbed his cheeks from midair and started stretching them out. "Don't ever do that again!" she said grumpily. She let go and he blew up.  
  
"I'm NOT a STUFFED ANIMAL!" but seeing that Meilin was about to squeeze the life out of him he squeaked and flew behind Sakura's back.  
  
Calming down, Meilin spoke normally. "Why is everyone in my room? What's going on?" and then pointing at Yue and Nakuru, "and since when were they a couple?" Yue stiffened and turned a slight shade of shade as Nakuru laughed.  
  
"Ever since Yue-kun and Yuki-kun were separated!" she giggled.  
  
"Oh," was all Meilin said.  
  
"A lot has happened since you were called back to Hong Kong, Meilin- chan. It's okay if you don't know a lot," Tomoyo said still recording everything. Meilin just nodded. "You should get out of those wet clothes then we can catch up!"  
  
"Sure," was the only reply. Before Tomoyo could shoo out the guys for her to change, Meilin's body rose into the air.  
  
Again, her long hair flared out as her aura gave a slight burst of energy. Red long ribbons and sheet came out of nowhere, wrapping around her body and then bursting into petals. She came back down onto the bed as if she was asleep with her eyes clothes and fully dressed. Everyone stood there in shock.  
  
Meilin opened her eyes and sat up, "Ready. Let's go." She was in one of her traditional robes. Jumping off the bed, she ran out of her room, trying quickly avoiding the questions that were about to be asked, but Tomoyo was quick and threw her arms around Meilin's neck.  
  
"KAWAII! Meilin you changed so much! Your hair so long and its so pretty when you let it down loosely! I'm going to have so much fun dressing you up since Sakura-chan won't let me pretty her up anymore! You'll be so beautiful on your wedding day!"  
  
Meilin's eyes welled up again. She couldn't remember when she cried so much before. 'The wedding, the arranged marriage, my husband-to-be is coming today.' She quickly slipped out of Tomoyo death clutch and ran out of the room, hoping that they wouldn't follow, leaving everyone in pity for her.  
  
  
  
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Touya Kinomoto sat up from his bed from the weird dream he had. He met a strange girl. Knowing it was just a dream, he approached her as she swung up and down on the Penguin Park swing set. She made a wish on the shooting star and he tried granting it.  
  
'She wanted to be a child,' he thought. He remembered how his mother played with Sakura. She would spin Sakura around, push her on swings, making flower necklaces for her, and chase each other around. He tried to do the same thing for the girl, even thought it was just a dream. 'It was close enough,' he thought, but he wondered why she ran away when he said that it was his dream, and why he ran after her in the first place. "She's beautiful," he murmured, "But she's not real. She's fake. A figure of my imagination that understands how I feel about this whole arranged crap. Right? She responded so much like a real human, though."  
  
Rap! Rap! Rap! There was a knocking at the door. "Touya! The plane leaves in an hour. Get packed. No objections this time." Touya sighed angrily and punched his pillow. The arranged marriage, ever since that Chinese Gaki's clan found out that his father was the second half of the reincarnation of this Clow character they supported the relationship of his Little Kaiju and the Chinese Gaki. Now they were after him. They were going to set him up with a Chinese Baka Girl. And his father APPROVED of this. He even suggested it! Touya punched his pillow again and feathers puffed out, snowing down around the room. 'Snow, snow bunny, Yuki'  
  
He thought of Yukito Tsukishiro, his best friend that he thought he was in love with during his high school years. Ever since that guardian Yue and him had been separated, everything changed. Yuki still ate a lot, but Touya realized how much time Yuki and Kaho Mizuki spent together. Touya didn't say anything when Yuki told him he was in love with her. He just gave a warm smile that was given especially to his best friend and helped him get together with her. Touya even congratulated him when he proposed to her. He hid his grief when they both decided to move to England, happily married and in love; Yuki was happily in love with Kaho, not him.  
  
'Love. Arg!' Touya gave a frustrated cry. Porcelain vases in his room shattered and his aura flared and blazed. It was a dark gold color. He was never a romantic, but he did believe in marrying out of love, like his parents did despite their status as student and teacher. 'Why the hell do I have to marry her!' The porcelain pieces on the floor rose up and shattered on his skin. 'Shit,' he groaned as there were light scratches on his arm, slowly drawing blood. He sighed. 'Oh yeah. She's supposedly supposed to protect me . . . from myself.'  
  
--- On the Plane ---  
  
"Touya, please try to relax. It is for the best you know," Fujitaka said calmly. Touya gave his father a glare and turned away. "I know you are upset, but it will work out. You need to move on from this."  
  
"Yes," Touya said coolly, "I need to move on, by myself. I didn't need you to move on for me." And with that, Touya faced the other direction, closing his eyes to go to sleep.  
  
--- Dream ---  
  
Touya blinked as found himself next to the Penguin Slide. 'Oh, great, I'm back here again.' Looking up he saw the girl. She stretched her arms and slid down, heading for the swings.  
  
"So you came back?" he asked before he was actually thinking. The girl jumped, "Why did you run away?" she started stepping back as Touya started stepping forward.  
  
"You don't need to know," she said. Her voice quivered very slightly as if she was scared of him. Touya didn't know why but he started taking steps toward her but she kept walking back.  
  
"Why did you run? Are you afraid of me?" Touya asked demandingly. Why did he felt so angry? He felt frustrated and his head was clouded. It wasn't supposed to be directed at her, only his father and the Li clan. As soon as her back was against the slide he grabbed her shoulders and she gave a small scared cry.  
  
"Let me go. Onegai, let me go!" she whispered pleadingly.  
  
"Why are you scared of me?" Touya asked, still feeling angry. Looking at her, he still couldn't see her face properly since it was so dark, only her lips. Without thinking, he hungrily smashed his lips against hers, bruising them harshly, then slowly going down toward her neck. He tasted peach as he kissed her, but then salty tears. He jumped back quickly realizing what he had done.  
  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken my stress and anger out on you this way." Meilin wiped away her tears.  
  
"Why were you hurting me! I didn't do anything to you!" she cried, falling onto the ground, "You act as if I'm not real! How do I know if you're are real or not?" Touya felt troubled. Should he comfort her or not? She just stayed there on the ground, crying. As he was about to kneel and comfort her and apologize, but as he was about to wrap his arms around her, white ribbons came out of nowhere and wrapped around her before his arms were able to. She disappeared from the dream.  
  
---  
  
"Touya. Touya. Wake up. We have arrived," Fujitaka said, shaking Touya slightly. He opened his eyes and blinked. Looking out of the plane window, the sun was right above the horizon, setting.  
  
"Is the Kaiju going to be there with that Chinese Gaki?" he asked wearily. Fujitaka just nodded and chuckled.  
  
"Do not say such things about your sister and your future brother-in- law. They love each other very much. That is why they will marry."  
  
"Of course," Touya said coldly, "Sakura is marrying someone she CHOSES and LOVES. Where as me, I never even met the person I HAVE to marry."  
  
Fujitaka frowned, "Touya you've met her before . . ." trying to defend the marriage.  
  
"What?" he asked surprised.  
  
His father just shook his head and sighed, "Never mind. It's time to go. We must be formal and not be late."  
  
  
  
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Meilin sat in a peach blossom tree outside in the grand garden. She couldn't eat, she couldn't concentrate while training, and she couldn't speak to her friends who were looking all over for her. She sighed as she closed her eyes.  
  
'I need to calm my nerves,' she thought closing her eyes and taking a deep breath.  
  
--- Dream ---  
  
Meilin opened her eyes, she was on top of the Penguin Slide. She stretched her arms and slid down, heading for the swings.  
  
"So you came back?" a voice said. Meilin jumped, "Why did you run away?" Meilin started stepping back as he started stepping forward.  
  
"You don't need to know," Meilin said. She wanted out of the dream again, but there was no way out. He was slowly trapping her between him and the slide.  
  
"Why did you run? Are you afraid of me?" he asked demandingly. As soon as her back was against the slide he grabbed her shoulders and for the first time in her life, she was scared.  
  
"Let me go. Onegai, let me go!"  
  
"Why are you scared of me?" he asked and then smashed his lips onto hers gradually going down to her neck. She let her tears fall. Her first kiss was being stolen by a complete stranger, just like how her innocence, her hand in marriage, and virginity would be taken from her by her husband- to-be, by a complete stranger.  
  
Meilin felt him release her abruptly. He seemed shocked and guilty, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken my stress and anger out on you this way." Meilin wiped away her tears.  
  
"Why were you hurting me! I didn't do anything to you!" she cried, falling onto the ground, "You act as if I'm not real! How do I know if you're are real or not?" She just stayed there on the ground as the boy stood there looking guiltily down at her. As he was about to kneel and comfort her and apologize, she felt wind swirling around her, causing her world to turn black.  
  
---  
  
"Meilin. Meilin. Wake up, Meilin-chan" Meilin opened her eyes and saw two purple amethyst eyes. She yelled out in surprise. Tomoyo laughed, "Good to see you awake!" her mood suddenly became a little more serious. "Are you okay?"  
  
It appears that everyone else was there with her as well. They surrounded the tree looking up at her and Tomoyo who was sitting on the branch next to her. In a blink of an eye, everyone appeared in the tree, sitting on the sturdy peach branches. It was very pretty how everyone was sitting in the tree, the background sky was a red orange color, indicating that the sun was setting.  
  
"I'm fine." Meilin lied, but everyone saw through it.  
  
"Meilin . . ." Syaoran growled warningly as Sakura tried to calm him down.  
  
"Fine! I'm not alright." She crossed her arms and avoided eye contact with anyone. "I got magic blood, the strong kind. I am arranged to marry a complete stranger even though I don't love him," Meilin saw Syaoran try to interrupt her, "And don't you dare think I'm still in love with you Xiao Lang, I'm over that. I don't want to marry. Plain and simple - -"  
  
"Meilin-chan, uh, when did you get powers? I thought the Elders said you have none," Sakura said, tilting her head.  
  
"The stupid Elders were wrong." She half mumbled and murmured, "Signs of having magic in my blood showed a month after I left Tomoeda." She felt her eyes water up again. "Now because of them the Elders are forcing me to marry. I don't want to marry whomever I have to marry. They want to mix and match power for a powerful child. Damn bastards. I want to grow old and single instead of being with him. I don't even know who it is."  
  
There was suddenly a nervous silence. No one spoke. Even Yue's tranquil ice face faltered. Sakura was especially red in the face. "Meilin. I'm sure everything would turn out all right . . . don't pressure yourself too much."  
  
Meilin narrowed her eyes. "You guys know. Tell me." Even if Meilin had tears in her eyes, her glare was still intimidating, but there was anger and sadness mixed all together. "Tell me. Please?" She said this is a pleading voice no one really ever heard her speak in before.  
  
"We can't Meilin. We're under Elders' orders. You will meet him tonight," Syaoran mumbled and everyone except the girls left. Meilin had silent tears sliding down her cheeks.  
  
"Miss Li, I am to help you get ready for the arrival of your fiancé," a maid humbly bowed before the tree. Meilin didn't respond or even look at the maid. A little annoyed the maid repeated, "Miss, I am under orders from Mistress Yelen to help you get ready." She still didn't respond.  
  
"Don't bother, we will help her look presentable for him. You may leave," Tomoyo said. The maid left, relieved that she didn't have to prepare 'The Dragon Lady'. That was Meilin's nickname. Every morning Meilin would train with her magic. Red orbs would increase and explode, causing a massive amount of damage around her. "Come on, Meilin-chan, let's get you dressed.," Tomoyo said cheerfully pulling both Sakura's and Meilin's out of the tree and toward Meilin's room.  
  
  
  
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Touya was led into the guest room with his father. It took him a while to subtly get over his awe at how magnificent the Li mansion was. In his room was a grand bed with much wooden furniture like chairs and sofas that seemed very expensive. In the chairs were Syaoran, Eriol, and Yue, waiting for him. They all stood up when seeing Fujitaka and bowed.  
  
"Touya-sama, we are to help you prepare for meeting with your fiancée," Yue said emotionlessly. He just nodded.  
  
---  
  
He was standing on a small stool, with his arms stretched out so they could put on the Chinese robes that were brought to him by one of the servants. It was a white robes with gold trimming on it. 'Why did I do that? It was just a dream, but why did I do that? Why did I feel so guilty? Why does she seem so, real?'  
  
"Touya, you are done. You can come down now," Fujitaka said as he was sitting in a chair observing the fitting. Touya didn't respond. His eyes were just glazed over and deep in thought. "Touya! You can come down now." Touya snapped out of his thoughts and looked at his father.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're done. You can come down now. It's time to go."  
  
"Whatever," Touya said lazily, he had no intension of speaking to his father.  
  
  
  
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Meilin opened a birdcage and gingerly cupped a small red cardinal. She gave a small smile and stroked its head. It chirped happily. She smiled. "Miri, you are the only one that knows my life, aren't you?" The bird chirped.  
  
"KAWAII! SO KAWAII! Meilin-chan you're so adorable!" Tomoyo squealed while holding up her video camera as soon as she came into the room. Meilin was wearing red robes with white trimmings. There were gold designs along the trimming, giving the robes a luxurious look. Tomoyo's squealing reminded Meilin of something.  
  
"Where are Syaoran's sisters?" Meilin asked looking up from Miri.  
  
Nakuru looked up from Tomoyo's sketches and at Meilin, "They went visiting to England. Kaho-sama made a request for them to help with Yuki-sama's and Kaho-sama's baby." Meilin just nodded and dazed off into her own little world.  
  
Tomoyo started viewing Meilin starting at her feet going up toward her face, but then suddenly stopped at the neck and zoomed in. "Um, Meilin- chan, what's that on you neck? Meilin? Meilin?"  
  
Meilin was deep in thought. 'I'm the REAL one. He treats me like I'm just a figure of his imagination. Baka, he is such a baka. I don't even know who he is. Baka Hentai, he took my first kiss.' She didn't notice that she began to flush thinking about it. Her thoughts were broken by a loud scream.  
  
"MEILIN! IS THAT A HICKEY ON YOUR NECK?!" Tomoyo screamed pointing at her neck.  
  
"What?" Meilin said confused.  
  
"You have a HICKEY on your NECK!" Tomoyo said.  
  
'The dream, the guy he- -' Meilin quickly went over to a mirror. Sure enough there was a red kiss mark, right below her ear. "How could this happen?!" Meilin exclaimed, "It was only a dream!" She sat in a chair and let go of the red bird, letting it fly around the room.  
  
"What was only a dream?" Sakura asked coming into the room from the bathroom in her proper attire to be presentable with Syaoran. She finally noticed the red mark, confused why she hasn't seen it before. "Meilin, is that a hickey on your neck?!"  
  
Meilin groaned and sat on her bed, ready to ruin the make up Tomoyo had beautifully placed onto her pale face with tears. "This is going to disrespect the clan. They're going to look down on me, just like they did when I decided to break the engagement before they found out Sakura was the Card Mistress!"  
  
Tomoyo smiled and placed a hand on Meilin's shoulder. "Don't worry. This happens to me - err - PEOPLE tons of time. I'll fix it up." She grabbed concealer and hid the red mark. "All better. Let's go downstairs."  
  
Meilin nodded sadly and pulled up her hair to tied back, but Sakura stopped her, "Let it loose. I'm sure he'll like it better." Sakura smiled, 'He better not hurt her. If he does I'll stomp on his foot so hard it would fall off!' she thought catching Meilin's bird with the Windy card, placing it back in its cage.  
  
  
  
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"Mr. Kinomoto, I am glad you traveled safely here with you son." Yelen gave Fujitaka a warm smile. He nodded and turned to Touya.  
  
"Touya, this is Yelen Li. We are the ones that arranged this meeting," Fujitaka said warmly. Touya didn't respond. He kept silent and just stared intently at his father and Yelen. Fujitaka cleared his throat uncertainly and look around.  
  
Everyone was sitting at the table in their robes. There were only three empty chairs: one next to Syaoran, one next to Eriol, and lastly, one next to Touya. Everyone was quiet and patient, then suddenly the grand doors opened and Sakura and Tomoyo came through. Everyone except Touya and Yue came a warm welcoming smile.  
  
Sakura suddenly stopped in her tracks and looked around, "Hoe? Where is . . ." Sakura tapped Tomoyo's shoulder and whispered something into her ear. Then Tomoyo looked around and sighed. Smiling sweetly, Sakura bowed to everyone, "Please hold on for a few minutes." Then both girls walked out the door. There was an awkward silence. Touya lost his patience.  
  
Standing up from his seat he said politely, "Please excuse me." Then we walked out of the door.  
  
Fujitaka sighed, "Please pardon my son. He's not very willing and agreeing to this marriage." Yelen nodded and gave a weary look.  
  
"Neither is my niece. She has a rebellious spirit. Agreeing to this would be unmoral to her."  
  
Syaoran and Eriol looked at the door when Sakura and Tomoyo came back in. Syaoran gave a questioning look to Sakura, asking her if she's found Meilin. She sadly shook her head.  
  
"It seems the meeting will be postponed until tomorrow morning. I suggest we eat and then retreat to our rooms," Yelen finally said. Everyone nodded and began to eat, ignoring Kero stuffing himself full. 'Niece, please try to understand and be here tomorrow,' she prayed to Meilin as everyone exited the room.  
  
  
  
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It was dark out and there were no stars, but there was a moon. Meilin started throwing orbs of energy at the brick walls. She couldn't go through with the marriage. She just couldn't. It's against everything she believed in ever since she was a child.  
  
"Why me?" she said out loud over the sounds of explosions as the orbs of red crashed into the brick walls. "Why can't some other person marry him and leave me alone!"  
  
"Lovely attire you are wearing, dressing up for me?" a male voice said from behind her.  
  
Meilin scowled in the dark and turned around. "Go away Sheng, I don't want to speak with you right now."  
  
Gaho Sheng raked his hand through his black hair, "Now you regret taking up on my offer, huh Meilin? You see? Now you're marrying a complete stranger instead of someone you know. You should've said yes to me."  
  
"The only reason you want to marry me is for me to carry your child and give it my power. You are just like the Elders. Go away." Meilin turned her back on Gaho and started throwing orbs at the wall again. He snaked his arms around her waist and she spun back around. "Get off of me you slimy hentai or I'll blast you into the past!" Her hands started glowing and two orbs appeared.  
  
"That is where you are wrong, my Chinese Beauty, I am not like the Elders, for I am smarter and wiser than they are. They are wedding you off with someone that is powerful, very powerful, but can't protect himself. I call that weak. If they were to wed you off with me, it would be a great match. Two powerful mages. Don't you think?"  
  
"They would be stupider to match me up with you. You may be one of the magics, mages, wizards, or whatever, in the clan, but you are weak. Very weak. Now go away!"  
  
"Calm down, my Dragon Lady, I am willing to make another offer," he said calmly. Meilin narrowed her eyes. "Let me take you. Just for this one night and then he will never be yours."  
  
Meilin spat at him with disgust, "You're sick. Go away." Gaho breathed onto her neck and saw her hickey in the light emitted by her red energy orbs, ready to explode.  
  
"Someone else has claimed you. Who can that be?" Gaho asked threatened.  
  
"Someone probably better then you! Get off me!" Meilin wrenched herself out of his grasp, ready to hurt him in any ways possible.  
  
"I'll give you time to think about my offer. Remember you are mine and only mine." He said this as soon as Meilin escaped his hold on her and quickly vanished. Meilin became frustrated. She started throwing her power at the wall again with extra forced, trying to let out her anger.  
  
Touya at that time was walking around the training grounds, trying to maintain his anger channeled toward his father and Yelen Li. "How can they just expect me to marry some Chinese broad I never met in my entire life?" His mind traveled back to what his father said on the plane. "Maybe I have met her, but if I don't remember her than it doesn't count!" Suddenly he heard loud explosions. "What the hell?"  
  
He walked toward where the sounds were coming from and his eyes widened at what was in front of him. 'The girl.' He thought. The moon was the only source of light and he recognized the figure in front of him as the girl from his dream. She was throwing red orbs against the wall, angry.  
  
"Why can't the Elders leave me alone!" Meilin yelled out frustrated. Suddenly she stopped and looked around "Who's there?"  
  
"Me." Touya stepped out and the girl jumped as she recognized his dark shape and his voice.  
  
"YOU! You're not supposed to be here! You, you . . ." Her voice became frightened again. "You're not going to hurt me again!" she yelled and started throwing her power at him. Touya held out his hands and the orbs crashed against a invisible shield.  
  
"Wait! I need to know who you are! I don't want to hurt you!" Touya said through his clenched teeth, trying to block her attacks. She became shocked when he blocked everything she threw at him. This break gave him the time to throw attacks onto her. The fight continued between the two, not knowing who the other was.  
  
One of Touya's attacks landed on Meilin's shoulder, making her cry out in pain. Meilin paid no attention to the blood escaping the wound. She simply threw an attack at his shoulder to match hers. He tried to dodge it quickly, but the red orb hit him right on the spot. He growled and glared.  
  
"End this!" she yelled as she floated into the air and red orbs surrounded her, ready to explode.  
  
"Fine!" Touya clenched his fists and his aura flared as he also went off the ground. Never in his life had he ever used this much of his power and lost his temper. The training equipment around him flew up into the air. Both were about to throw all of what they had at each other when a voice stopped them.  
  
"ENOUGH!" a gust of wind wrapped around both Touya and the girl. Bring them down to the ground. Lights poured through the training area, revealing Yelen and Fujitaka, Sakura, Syaoran and everyone else. Everyone except Fujitaka and Tomoyo had their magical weapons out, even Spiniel and Keroberus were in their true forms. It took all of them to stop Touya and Meilin from killing each other. Yelen apparently had lost all patience she had. "Since the meeting did not take place properly at dinner, it will take place here!"  
  
Meilin and Touya became silent and looked at each other from the opposite sides of the training area. Meilin felt sick. 'Aunt Yelen can't possibly mean . . .'  
  
"Li Meilin," said Yelen looking at her niece, "Kinomoto Touya," she continued as she then looked at Touya, "Meet your fiancé."  
  
  
  
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To be continued . . . 


	3. Pleasure after Grudges

Pleasure after Grudges  
  
  
  
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'He, he's, he's Sakura's brother,' Meilin said, 'he's from the dream too he, he took my first kiss.' Meilin thought putting her hand to her mouth, numb from shock. Touya stood up and dusted his clothes off.  
  
"Touya Kinomoto, son of Fujitaka and brother of Sakura Ying-Fa Kinomoto. The clan and your father have arranged you to wed one of the direct descendents of Clow Reed, the most powerful mages of his time." Touya just stared intently at Meilin, who was staring back at him with the same intensity level.  
  
Fujitaka stepped in. "This is an arranged marriage. Usually I do not support these things. I believe a person has a choice," he said looking at Touya with a small smile, "But in this case I made an exception, I see that since I do have experience of two lives, this match is necessary. The wedding will be in two weeks as planned."  
  
Yelen nodded and everyone started walking back in. "Oh, and the two of you will be sharing the same room until the wedding."  
  
  
  
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Meilin twisted around uncomfortably in her bed, correction, THEIR bed. "Stop moving," Touya growled softly next to her. Meilin narrowed her eyes at the lump next to her.  
  
"It not my fault I have to marry you, you Baka Mage," Meilin snapped softly.  
  
"And it's mine?" Touya turned around and sat up as he glared at his fiancée.  
  
Meilin didn't respond to him knowing it wasn't his fault either. "No, but it makes me feel better to think of it as your fault." She tugged on the blanket and he tugged it back. "Stop it, you are hogging the blanket."  
  
"You're the one pulling on it." Touya said, feeling really, really annoyed. "Stop acting like a child!"  
  
Meilin defended her childish ways, "I'm not a child! You're just an old geezer!"  
  
"Think what you want," Touya turned around and lay back down, trying to ignore her and sleep, but just before he did that, he pulled the blanket off of Meilin. She glared at his back.  
  
"Baka Mage," she mumbled as she got out of bed. Meilin walked over to the front of the bed. Concentrating, a red blade like light appeared in between her hands. Suddenly, it swiped the bed, making Touya yelp awake.  
  
"What the hell, Li! What did you do?" he said through his teeth.  
  
"I don't want to sleep with you," she said simply and magically moved their parts of the bed to the opposite walls of the room. Sakura and Syaoran showed up at the door.  
  
"Hey what's going on?" Sakura yawned rubbing her eyes, "I heard a small blast sound and onii-chan yelling." Syaoran glared at them, he was very cranky when he was woken from his dream.  
  
"We can hear everything. From the moving around in bed, the whispers, the tugging of the blanket, everything! The walls are thin, our room is only next door!" Syaoran said, glaring even more when Touya mumbled loudly 'Chinese Gaki.'  
  
"We'll be quiet. Gomen nasai, Xiao Lang, Sakura-chan. Go back to sleep," Meilin said. Sakura nodded and left with Syaoran's arms around her waist. Meilin walked toward her own bed. Touya's glare followed her figure in the dark as she walked over to her part of the bed. His eyes widened when she started stripping.  
  
"What the hell are you doing? Are you insane?" he said, feeling his blood rush to his face. He was lucky it was dark. She kept taking off her clothes and took one of her sheets and wrapped it around her. She pulled out a pin in her hair and it tumbled down softly down her back. He saw her shoulder wrapped in bandages. Feeling a bit guilty even though she had left an identical wound on his shoulder, he got up and walked up behind her, placing his hand on her wound. Meilin hissed softly at the pain.  
  
"Does it hurt?" he asked removing his hand from her shoulder when she hissed.  
  
"Whether it hurts or not, it doesn't matter. I gave you the same kind of wound as pay back. We're equal."  
  
Touya looked at her neck, and in the dim light he saw a red mark, where he kissed her. 'It was only a dream, though,' he thought.  
  
"Kinomoto, I suggest you go close your eyes, turn around, and go to sleep instead of peeping at me while I undress," Meilin said as she slipped into her bed.  
  
"I wasn't peeping at you." Touya mumbled, "Kinomoto men are not hentais."  
  
"You're right, you're not a pervert," Meilin mumbled, "You're a thief." Touya became confused.  
  
"How am I a thief?!" he exclaimed quietly.  
  
Meilin was half asleep already since she became comfortable, "My first kiss . . ." she mumbled quietly.  
  
  
  
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Meilin's and Touya's rants and arguments continued over and over for the first week. Whether it was either over who used the bathroom in their room first or who gets the last cup of coffee, they argued and fought as Fujitaka and Yelen pleasantly chatted over their yelling. The cooks could always make more coffee, but those two were very stubborn. It was like two children fighting over a toy. Their disputes were always resolved in the training area, where Syaoran and Sakura had to stop them every single with the help of the four guardians and Eriol. Tomoyo just stood by taping the whole thing.  
  
"Sakura! Why did you stop me!" Meilin asked angrily, "I was just about to blast him back to Tomoeda!" Meilin crossed her arms and sat down on the bench in the Li garden where Sakura, Nakuru, and Tomoyo brought her over to calm down.  
  
"But that's the thing, Meilin-sama! You were about to hurt him! Yelen- sama wouldn't be pleased with that!" Nakuru said cheerfully after changing into her human form. "I don't understand why you have him so much when he's so handsome . . ." She trailed off as Sakura looked at her weirdly. "But, Yue-kun is much better!" she said quickly blushing like a cherry.  
  
"Then you have him," Meilin puffed out. "I'm sure he'd gladly agree. Marrying someone else is the only thing we'll agree on." Sakura sighed and transformed her staff back into a key.  
  
"Meilin-chan, he's not that bad," Sakura said, "Touya can be really nice. He teases me by calling me Kaiju, which I'm not by the way, but I'm his little sister. He's loyal and always keeps his cool, except when you're around." Sakura started laughing, "I don't know how you do it, but it's so funny how you push all of his buttons."  
  
Meilin gave a small smile, "It's easy, just call him 'Baka Old Geezer' or 'Baka Mage'" Meilin said getting up since it was almost time for dinner.  
  
"Nani? How is he a stupid old geezer?" Sakura asked tilting her head like she always did when she was confused.  
  
"It's nothing," Meilin said, "Let's go in and get ready for dinner." She shivered, "The faster I get through dinner, the faster I get away from him."  
  
  
  
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Touya sat at the table in the proper attire and sat next to Fujitaka, who was at the head of the table. Yelen sat at the other end with Syaoran and Sakura. Eriol was next to Fujitaka and Tomoyo was sitting next to Eriol and Sakura. Yue and Nakuru sat across Sakura and Syaoran, leaving room for one more person next to Touya, Meilin.  
  
Just at that moment, Meilin walked into the dining room and sat down next to Touya, not bothering to look at him. Touya just glared at her. As dinner was served, it seemed like the two was having a glaring contest. Since that didn't go anywhere, their verbal argument started their argument again.  
  
"SOMEONE needs to learn manners," said Meilin when Touya put his elbows on the table just for a second. Touya glared at Meilin.  
  
"Some other SOMEONE needs to leave people alone and mind her own business," Touya shot back at her.  
  
"Well, that SOMEONE needs to stop being a Baka Hentai," Meilin sat, putting down her fork.  
  
"SOMEONE should stop being so sure of herself thinking that another SOMEONE is peeping at her 'cause that SOMEONE wouldn't want to look at her!"  
  
Kero look up from his plate from the mini table next to where everyone was sitting, "You know, it's pretty obvious you guys are talking about each other . . ."  
  
Meilin and Touya stopped talking indirectly with each other and now were face to face.  
  
"You're a big fat liar and you know it!" Meilin said.  
  
"I'm not lying! Who would want to look at you when you sleep in a ridiculous attire," Touya snapped, "Oh! Wait, you DON'T wear any sleep wear at ALL."  
  
"Why you - -" Meilin started, but was interrupted by Yelen and Fujitaka.  
  
"That is IT!" Yelen said standing up. "You two are suppose to be married next this coming Sunday! Why are you still bickering and arguing like school children!" Yelen sat back down calming down her voice. "Please retreat to your rooms and stay there. You will not come out until you compromise something or AT LEAST agree to be civil to each other around other people."  
  
Fujitaka continued for Yelen, "If this does not happen, your meals will be given to you there. There is no point of sneaking out because the door will be magically locked and there will be a barrier around there. You powers will do no good for you. You may go."  
  
Meilin and Touya glared at each other one last time before walking toward their room. "This is all your fault," Meilin said under her breath.  
  
"You started it"  
  
"Did not"  
  
"Did too"  
  
"Not"  
  
"Did too"  
  
Yelen sighed as the two left arguing under their breaths. "Something must be done for those two. Nothing will work out properly if they do not get along."  
  
Sakura groaned at how poorly her brother and her friend were getting along, "I wish there was some kind of thing that'll make them get along better? Even for a minute. Touya doesn't even call me Kaiju anymore because he's so fed up with Meilin-chan." Syaoran and Yelen looked at each other in realization.  
  
"Ying-Fa," Syaoran smiled brightly and whispered, "You are brilliant."  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
Knock! Knock! Knock!  
  
"Who is it?" Meilin snapped, still angry with Touya. They were in another argument again, this time about who got to use the bathroom first. Before Meilin was able to do anything, he ran in the bathroom and locked the door. She opened the door to a maid with a tray of two cups of what looked like tea.  
  
"Miss Li, Mistress Yelen wishes for you and Mister Kinomoto to drink this since you have not been able to finish dinner." The maid said this quickly, not wanting to piss off the 'Dragon Lady' anymore.  
  
"Oh." Meilin put on a cheerful smile; "Arigatou!" and she slammed the door in the maid face. "Baka Mage! Drink tea!" Meilin said as Touya came out in a bathrobe drying off his hair with a towel.  
  
"I'm not stupid," he growled.  
  
"Sure you are!" Meilin said as she gulped down her semi-warm tea quickly to get into the bathroom and avoiding Touya's now empty teacup. Closing the door behind her, she started to fill the giant tubs with hot water, and started to slip out of her clothes. She hissed softly as she slip into the steaming water. With a wave of her hand, the scented candles around were light giving an intoxicating smell. Suddenly, the Meilin started getting dizzy and drowsy, like the room was spinning around.  
  
"Ooh," she moaned, put a hand to her head, "Maybe I should turn off the candles." She waved her hand and the candles went out, leaving a trail of smoke, dancing in the air. She felt even more drowsy, "What the hell is going on?" she moaned and slowly got out of the tub, wrapping a towel around her. She squeezed out the water in her hair and fumbled into the bedroom.  
  
Touya was sitting in a chair, with his head in his hands. It looked like he wasn't able to finished dressing since he was only wearing a pair of pajama pants. He was groaning as if he had a headache. Suddenly he looked up and his chocolate eyes connected with Meilin's ruby ones.  
  
The dizziness went away, replaced by a certain need and craving. Meilin's eyes flashed. Touya suddenly rushed at her and grabbed her shoulders, crashing his lips against her neck. Meilin wrapped her arms around his neck as he did this, accepting his hungering touch. His hands started roaming around her body, exploring her curves and everything else she had to offer. Meilin's towel dropped as Touya laid Meilin down on his section of their bed, leaving them to a long night of pleasure.  
  
  
  
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To be continued . . . 


	4. To Repay a Debt

To Repay a Debt  
  
  
  
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Meilin opened her eyes and squinted as the sunlight shone through the window. She stretched and yawned, 'When did I fall asleep?' she thought, ready to get out of bed. She needed to get the first cup of coffee before Touya did. Suddenly she froze as she was restricted from leaving the bed. She felt an arm hugging her waist. 'What the . . .' Her eyes traveled up the arm to see who it belonged to. Messy black-brown hair and serene face. She then noticed both of them were under the covers . . . naked. She took a deep breath. 'It's okay, Meilin,' she thought, 'There must be an reasonable explanation for this . . ..' After a few seconds, she took another breath and then . . .  
  
"AHHHHHH!" Meilin screamed, waking up Touya. He sat up and it only took him two seconds to find out what was going on. Both of them jumped off his part of the bed. Meilin's body rose up into the air and crimson satin sheets flew out of her dresser and were wrapped around her. Touya took his blanket and wrapped it around his waist.  
  
"What the hell is going on, Li?!" he yelled at her.  
  
"How the hell am I suppose to know?! You're the one that raped me!" Meilin yelled. She felt sick in the stomach.  
  
"NANI?! What the hell are you talking about? I didn't rape you! You're the one that was in MY bed!"  
  
Meilin felt angry tears coming up. Not only did she find herself naked in her enemy's bed, she felt . . . very self-conscience about it. "You don't remember anything right?" she asked turning red, "Because if you did I will gauge your eyes out with a hot metal spoon."  
  
"Don't worry," he grumbled, "If I did then I'll gauge my eyes out for you." Wind picked up and Touya closed his eyes as it whirled around him. When the wind stopped, Touya was fully dressed. He was standing there smugly as if he was proud of how he could use his magic.  
  
Meilin narrowed her eyes and then closed them. Just like before, red ribbons and sheets came out of nowhere and wrapped around her body, exploding into peach petals leaving her in her red robes. With a handful of petals inside her hand, she threw it at Touya, covering him in petals, which stuck to his hair. She started running for the door, "If you want to flaunt your powers, do something original!"  
  
  
  
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Meilin sat down in her seat in the library for the wedding planning. As soon as she was outside of her bedroom door; she realized that the barrier was gone. She felt uneasy, very uneasy, like people were watching her. Meilin looked up and saw Yelen, Fujitaka, Sakura, Syaoron, Eriol, Tomoyo, and Nakuru smiling happily and relieved at her. Yue, Kero, and Suppi just sat there looking at her. She gave a slight frown.  
  
"Um, why is everyone smiling at me?" she asked feeling uneasy again when the smiles became brighter.  
  
"Did you two get along better?" Sakura gushed out, "No more fighting? No more arguing? No more trying to kill each other in the training area?" Meilin's eyes widened.  
  
She jumped from her seat, which was closest to the doors "You guys did this! You guys made us - - " Meilin turned beet red, "You guys are sick!" At that moment, Touya came in confused why Meilin was yelling when he wasn't there.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked suspiciously at why his arranged fiancée was red as a tomato.  
  
Meilin turned around and faced him. Looking down she pointed at the group, "They-they-they, w-we did that, um, thing. They made us do that thing we did." Meilin stuttered, shocked, angry, and REALLY embarrassed. Touya turned into the same shade of red as Meilin did.  
  
"Hoe? Meilin-chan, what are you talking about?" Sakura tilted her head as everyone else had a look of confusion on their face. There was a look of concern painted onto Yelen and Fujitaka's face. Sakura continued, "We only gave you a Tomodachi Drink, you know, to get you two to get along with each other better."  
  
"Get along with each other?!" Touya said this with his voice raised. "That is what you call 'getting along with each other?'"  
  
Yelen stood up worried, "What exactly happened last night that is getting you two worked up?" Meilin and Touya both blushed again.  
  
"It's not like we remember anything," Meilin staring at nothing in particular.  
  
Touya looked away from the group, "We weren't really responsible for what happened."  
  
"It was a mistake."  
  
"An accident."  
  
"It won't happen again"  
  
Then at the same time they both pointed at each other and said, "It's her/his fault!"  
  
Yelen crossed her arms, "You didn't answer my question. I repeat, what has happened?" She looked at Meilin, "Niece?" Meilin looked away and started blinking rapidly. "Mr. Kinomoto?" Touya made the same gesture as Meilin. "Someone has to say something," Yelen said irritated.  
  
"There was a, -err- there was some -err- intimate moments and actions that were taken place last night." He started to blush as he said this quickly. Meilin sat on the ground and buried her face into her arms ashamed. There was silence and everyone blushed except Sakura.  
  
"Hoe? What is he talking about," Sakura asked and Tomoyo whispered into her ear, Sakura turned red, "Oh."  
  
Yelen coughed and cleared her throat, "Um, Nakuru . . . you made the drinks, yes?" Nakuru nodded brightly. "What did you put in it?"  
  
"Mint, lavender, root of Ginseng, tealeaves, water . . ." Nakuru was counting off her fingers as she started listing what she had put in, " . . . and a lemon!" She smiled brightly proud of herself. Syaoran and Yelen paled very slightly.  
  
"Nakuru . . ."  
  
"Hai, Yelen-sama?"  
  
"You weren't supposed to put in a lemon. It must've caused certain, -err- side effects."  
  
"Oh," Nakuru said sadly and slumped in Yue's lap.  
  
"It's alright, it has passed now. On with the wedding plans, Tomoyo I have heard you like these kinds of things, what kinds of flowers do you think would fit?"  
  
Meilin got up suddenly and walked out of the room. 'They are acting as this was some kind of experiment with minor problems. Since when was my life to be like a puppet's? Controlling every aspect of my life? Including . . ." Meilin blushed as she was thinking. Even though she didn't remember, didn't mean that it didn't happened. She noticed she was in the garden again. It wasn't completely their fault, but Meilin couldn't help but blame them. Her eyes suddenly widened in realization. What if she has a - -. Meilin clutched her abdomen protectively. There is a chance that she would be pregnant. 'Oh god,' she said worried. She laid down on a bench sideways, about to sleep away her upset feelings, but someone wouldn't let her.  
  
"I see you are now the property of that Kinomoto boy."  
  
Meilin had her eyes closed, but she knew exactly who it was, "Sheng, he is older than you. He's the one who should be calling you boy." Meilin inwardly asked herself, 'Why am I defending that baka?' She opened her eyes and then glared at Gaho, "And I am not the property of him. I am no one's property."  
  
"Not exactly, my Dragon Lady in Red, you see, he has left a mark on you forever, whether you remember or not. And I'm not talking about that hickey underneath the make up" Gaho smirked at her, but than scowled. "I've been watching you closely all this week. I was satisfied with how things were going between the two of you, except the most recent event . . ."  
  
"Satisfied? What are you? My teacher? You don't own me. What I do is my choice." She said sternly, not believing how Gaho was acting. He was acting like she was his, making her decisions, judging her acts.  
  
Gaho smiled, "You're right, what you do is your choice." Suddenly he grabbed her throat with his hand, squeezing it tightly slowly taking away her breath, "I told you, you were mine and mine only. When I overheard the news about you rendezvous with Kinomoto, it seemed like you forgot."  
  
"I am not yours," Meilin choked out, hands glowing red, ready to attack him.  
  
"Well then," Gaho said grabbing his necklace, "If you're not mine, then you won't be anyone's." His necklace had a small wicked looking spiked shell hanging from it. It glowed and he placed it around her neck. "How? Oh, I don't know, maybe if you no longer exist, no one else can have you." He let go of her neck, but she kept choking, trying to gasp for air. Her red explosive orbs snuffed out of her hands in smoke  
  
The necklace was glowing a sickly orange-brown color, taking over the red in Meilin's aura. She clutched her sides and hutched over. It felt like a thousand knives were stabbing her over and over again. She felt intense heat and then frigid cold and then intense heat again, this continued like a pattern. Tears formed in her ruby from this incredible torture and as they fell down her cheeks they burned cold. She started feeling suffocated, she couldn't breath. She fell to the ground.  
  
Gaho leaned over, "Like my present? It was made especially for you. The Elders produced this beautiful killing device just in case their precious Dragoness got out of hand. I was able to come across it. It was suppose to kill you, quickly, the Elders aren't savages." He brushed her hair out of her face, "So with a quick adjustment, it's a slow painful death, sort of like poison mixed in with burning acid seeping through your body. Think of this as a bribe. If you break off the wedding with Kinomoto and decide to marry me then I'll take the necklace off. The Elders wouldn't mind so much. And if not, think of it as punishment from me. You didn't listen. You could've married me, carried my children, but now you have to d- -"  
  
Gaho was suddenly knocked off his feet by a bench, "You're really sick." Meilin was able to slightly roll over to her side and see who said that. Touya. He made some of the garden rocks rise and they started spinning in the air. When they stopped spinning, they had sharp points and flew toward Gaho.  
  
Meilin couldn't see this still feel extreme pain and slowly weakening. Gaho's face started to became a bloody mess as he passed out, staining the ground with his blood. Touya looked down at Meilin curled up in a ball in pain. "Damn, what did he do to you?" He looked over her noticing her aura was turning a sickly brown. He noticed something glowing orange around her neck.  
  
"Necklace," Meilin gasped trying to speak, "Take it off."  
  
Touya kneeled down and pulled off the necklace. When the necklace stopped glowing when it left Meilin's presence and her aura flashed a bright red again. Meilin took a deep breath. Her painful tears stopped burning, but still came down and left a trail on her face. Her tears were non-stop, pouring down like rain on a glass window.  
  
"Thank you," she said and her eyes rolled back as she blacked out.  
  
Touya sighed and picked her up gently. He stared at her tear-struck face and felt pity for her, having to go through what seemed like eternal torture. Touya took a glance at the passed out, bloodied body a couple of feet away. He heard everything Gaho said. Then, he stepped on the shell necklace, making it give a nasty crunching sound, shattering it into bits and bits. The coffee-haired boy started to hear pleasant talking and giggling heading their way. Looking away from Meilin's face, he looked up and saw Eriol and Tomoyo.  
  
The blue-haired boy was whispering things into the amethyst-eyed girl's ear as she giggled, but as soon as Eriol and Tomoyo looked up they had frightened looks on their faces. Looking from Gaho's body to Touya holding Meilin, Tomoyo started running forward, "Touya-kun! What's wrong with Meilin-chan! Who is that person over there? Touya-kun, Touya-kun! Are you listening? Answer me!" Touya was walking past Tomoyo toward Eriol.  
  
"Hiirigazawa, get Yelen-san, tell her about that person over there," Touya nodded toward Gaho's body, "and then tell her Meilin would be resting in her room." He walked on, still ignoring Tomoyo's frantic questions.  
  
--- In Their Room ---  
  
Touya laid Meilin down on her bed and sighed. He remembered now, he now knew what his father meant by how he has seen her before. He realized he has seen Meilin somewhere before; he realized as soon as he saw the tears streaming down her face.  
  
--- Flashback ---  
  
Sakura was ten-years-old, she brought over a new friend, her, Meilin. He was about to bring them their pizza when suddenly Sakura rushed past him, pulling a reluctant Meilin out of the house. They've been gone for two hours and when they came back finally. Meilin had a smile on her face, but it was a fake smile, probably just to fool his dense little sister.  
  
He guessed she passed his room on the way to the restroom. He was reading on his bed and the door was open. He felt a very, very faint and weak aura approaching his doorway. This confused him at first, 'Is this another spirit approaching me?' The aura was so faint that it seemed like it barely existed, but then he saw Meilin, she was crying. She leaned on the frame of his door.  
  
Flashes went through Touya's head, her memories of Syaoron, the Chinese Gaki. Again she was crying, sitting on her porch as the rain outside poured down. There was an empty birdcage next to her. He saw the Chinese Gaki running towards her in the rain cupping something in his hand. Meilin ran toward him, ignoring the rain, and he opened his hand to reveal a red cardinal. She jumped on him, crushing him into a hug. 'Meilin! You're going to crush you're bird!' he said. This was the end of the flash of her memory.  
  
Meilin kept crying, but suddenly gasped when she saw Touya and wiped away her tears. "Gomen nasai, Kinomoto-san. I did not mean to invade your space." With that she walked away quickly.  
  
Touya understood. Meilin was obviously suffering from a broken heart and by seeing that she was hiding it from his Kaiju, Sakura and the Chinese Gaki was the reason. He had to repress the urge to take the little girl into his arms and comfort her like he would for Sakura.  
  
--- End ---  
  
Touya sighed as he looked over Meilin. "So you cried over them, but still blessed them for being together. Amazing, here's one thing you beat me in."  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
Meilin was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling of the room. It was early in the morning, the sun hasn't risen yet, but Meilin just stared and stared. She's been awake for a long time, not wanting to talk to anyone. There was a big weight on her shoulders. Meilin finally sighed and looked over at the opposite side of the room at the person sleeping peacefully.  
  
'Why did he save me? He could've left me to die. Then we both gotten something we wanted. We wouldn't of have to married each other' Meilin shook her head and wiped that thought out of her mind. She may have hated him and always rivaled with him, but she couldn't see him as cold-hearted. She didn't know why, it was probably the fact that he was Sakura's brother and related to her in a faint similar way.  
  
Meilin was in debt to Touya, he saved her life. This was a dilemma. Before this has happened, they were equals, the opposites, but still equals, but now . . . that has changed. She was inferior to him, less than him, he was to look down on her. She gave a soft frustrated sigh.  
  
'Why him? It would be much easier if I was in Syaoran's debt, I am already lower than him, he's going to be the Li Clan Leader.' She closed her eyes and sighed again, 'That's it,' she made up her mind, 'I'll have to repay it in any way I can . . .'  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
To be continued . . . 


	5. Deeper in Debt

Deeper in Debt  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
Touya opened his eyes and found ruby ones staring right into his. He yelped and jumped back against the wall. Meilin leaned in more and just stared at his eyes, and then she leaned back.  
  
"I'm in debt to you," she said bluntly. Touya tilted his head slightly.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
Meilin shook her head and sighed, "I'm in debt to you. You save my life, now I owe you, need to pay you back." She leaned in again, very close to his face, so close that her nose was almost touching his. "So I'll give you one favor, or whatever you want me to do to pay off the debt."  
  
"Uh," Touya was still half asleep, confused by Meilin's strange gestures. He felt uncomfortable at how close she was to him and how civil she was acting towards him. He was more used to the competition, the yelling, and the arguments.  
  
Meilin leaned back and continued, "It really doesn't matter what you say. I still owe you until I work out of the debt." She walked back and faced him. Putting her hands on her chest she slowly pulled her arms from her chest, withdrawing a brilliant red light. She whispered, "Li Meilin, direct descendent of Clow Reed, desires for the creation of a contract!" The light spun around Meilin and then shot toward Touya, entering his chest.  
  
Meilin fell to her knees, but slowly stood up again. She steadied her breath and looked up. Her eyes have dulled into a rusty red. Touya felt exceedingly strong, energized. "What did you do, Li?"  
  
"My power went to you. All of it, just until I have repaid you for what you have done. I haven't done this before, but I guess I did it right. I'm going down now." Meilin said this in a calm steady voice, like Yelen's. She walked out of the door.  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
"The wedding will be postponed for another week. Feimei, Fuutie, Sheifa, and Fahren will still be in England, so the wedding will commence when they return," Yelen announced at dinner. Touya and Meilin just nodded. They didn't think of the marriage as a blessing, obviously, they thought of it as a chore. Touya uneasily stole a glance at Meilin. She followed him around all day, acting civil to him, sort of acting like an obedient wife.  
  
Meilin was quietly eating and felt someone's gaze upon her. She turned her head slightly and gave Touya a questioning look. They stared for a while at each other. He just snapped out of his gaze and continued eating when Suppi 'accidentally' consumed one of Kero's sugar cookies instead of the sugarless cookies that the cooks made for him and started zooming around the room.  
  
Meilin started thinking to herself. 'So, right now, I'm a mortal, a weakling. I was the way I was when still living back in Tomoeda. Powerless, just until I do something that is equal to saving my life.' Meilin inwardly frowned, "But when does something like that come up? Its not like his life will be threatened anytime soon if not at all.'  
  
Everyone noticed Meilin stopped eating, just staring at the soup in her spoon. Meilin looked up startled, she forgot about everyone else. Standing up, she gave a weak smile and said, "I'm a bit stressed. I think it's best for me to go upstairs and relax." She walked out.  
  
Sakura sighed, "Touya, why do you always make Meilin-chan leave?"  
  
Touya glared at his Kaiju, "I didn't do anything though."  
  
Sakura huffed, "Well you did something. She isn't the same happy genki Meilin I knew. You did something."  
  
Tomoyo smiled at the childish acting Sakura, "Aw, come on Saku-chan. It's not your onii-chan's fault. Everyone changed." Tomoyo raised her spoon up as if she was declaring something, "For example: Syaoran-kun. He envied you, despised you, glared at you, never spoke around you unless he was threatening you to give him the Clow cards. Now he just simply loves and admires you, whispers sweet nothings into your ear and instead of glaring at you he cant stop staring at you lovingly." Tomoyo giggled at Syaoran's tomato head.  
  
Eriol gave a smirk, "I see I'm not the only one who has noticed, eh my cute little descendant?"  
  
"Shut it, Hiirigazawa. You changed too. Don't act like you and Tomoyo JUST sleep when the sun goes down," Syaoran mumbled when Eriol and Tomoyo stopped laughing and giggling, and blushed deep crimson.  
  
Touya got up and started to leave, "Excuse me." Everyone was talking of the past and how things were before; he didn't want to remember that. They said bye to him and continued laughing about how they changed like Yue finally loosening up and how Nakuru only glomps Yue now instead of Touya.  
  
Fujitaka chuckled deeply and spoke quietly to Yelen, "Did you notice how they were staring at each other during dinner? I think they are warming up to the idea."  
  
"Maybe, but both of our children are stubborn. It will take a while. I worry for my niece though. Her eyes are not the same since yesterday and that Gaho Sheng is a threat."  
  
Fujitaka sighed, "But isn't that the reason we are wedding them together? To protect each other? Touya will soon lose control."  
  
"It is the reason," Yelen looked at how the children were laughing and how everyone was trying to catch Suppi and settle him down, "But my niece and your son has a lot of pride. Right now all she knows is that she is the one supposed to do the protecting. Meilin is not the same as she was yesterday. Something awful happened that time, and something bad will happen again."  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
Meilin stripped off her clothes and settled down into her bed. She started to relax her tense muscles and nuzzled into her pillow. She had been following him around all day, not stalking him, but simply following him. Whenever he came into the same room as her; she would keep an eye out for him, watch him. Sometimes she would even study him, maybe find a way to annoy him more. Even though she was in debt, she knew someday her powers would return to her, until then . . . just study the victim and then push all of his buttons.  
  
"Until then," Meilin chuckled sadly and fell asleep.  
  
--- Dream ---  
  
Meilin found herself on the swing set once more in Penguin Park in her childish outfit. She laughed happily swinging up and down. This time, there were petals of touya raining down. She jumped off the swing and flew off, landing gracefully on her feet. Running toward a grassed area, she plopped down on her back and snuggled down. There was a comforting warmness to the grass.  
  
Suddenly, the grass started turning a brown dead color and dried up. It became harsh and rough against her skin. Meilin quickly sat up and started looking around her. The grass was turning brown and then a disgusting yellow. The swings, the seesaw, the slide, the whole playground was rusting and breaking down. Weeds started sprouting out and the leaves on the trees around her burned down and were charred and black.  
  
'No . . .' she thought, 'What's happening? This can't happened.' She stood up and swirled around looking at the chaos around her, her paradise crumbled down before her eyes. 'No. Someone please, stop this.'  
  
"Like it? I do," she heard a voice behind her. She spun around and became angry. Gaho Sheng stood there in his robes, smug. "I think it has a warm feeling to it. Don't you think?"  
  
Meilin screamed, "What did you do? You are not welcome here! You had no right to even step in here." She balled up her fists, but then remembered that she gave up her powers.  
  
Gaho gave a deep chuckle. "You gave up your powers. I know. Such a foolish decision, my Dragoness." He stepped towards her. "In a hospital, I'm lying in a bed, in a coma, most likely not to come out of it." He picked a flower that was still alive and healthy. It crumbled into dust, "Why am I there? Because of your Kinomoto boy. Why did he interfere? Because of you." Meilin didn't move. She couldn't, her mind was frozen as he talked. "So, here I am," he continued, "In your dreams, forever. You see, this place, no one else can save you. You are alone here, with me." He lunged for her and pinned her to the ground.  
  
Meilin finally snapped out of her hypnotic trance and screamed when he pinned her to the ground. He muffled her mouth with his, abusing and ravishing her mouth with his tongue.  
  
He broke the contact and continued speaking, "First I'll take you, over and over again. And while I do that, I'll get Kinomoto. Sounds fun, ne?" He covered her mouth with his again. Gaho fondled her breasts and slowly went down, trying to separate her legs with his knee. She was able to kicked him, right where it hurt and scrambled away from under him. She started running for the cliff, where the water was. That was the only sure way to get out of there.  
  
She felt a sudden pulled on her feet and she fell to the ground. There were vines wrapped around her ankle. 'No no, no, no, this can't be happening,' she screamed in her head as she saw Gaho coming toward her. 'No, no . . .' "NO!" she screamed the last 'no'.  
  
Meilin saw Gaho hold something in his hands, the shell necklace. He had a evil grin on his face. It glowed that sickly brown color. She started to whimper, afraid of the pain she would have to go through again. 'Somebody help me,' Meilin thought as she let the liquid of her sadness drip onto the dead grass.  
  
Suddenly, she saw Touya appeared a few feet in front of Gaho from a strange white wind. He saw Meilin and started running to her. He dove on top of her and felt the wind swirl around her, making her disappear quickly, hearing Gaho scream curses as she escaped from this nightmare.  
  
---  
  
Meilin jerked up sweating and teary. Touya had his hands on her shoulders, obviously was trying to wake her. She was breathing heavily and grabbed onto Touya's shirt, clutching to it tightly and bringing him close. She started crying.  
  
"He ruined it! He crumbled it! It's not safe anymore. It'll never be safe anymore. He'll be there and hurt me, then he'll revive me, and then he'll hurt me again! He was going to rape me! He was going - he was - he . . . Oh God!" She just kept sobbing, and Touya just stood there, not knowing what to do really. He slowly put his arms around her, rubbing her back soothingly.  
  
"He's not here right now. He won't hurt you. He can't. He's not allowed to, Li." Touya felt her shaking die down. Looking down he saw her dozing off to sleep. He sighed sadly at her face, almost buried into his chest with hands still clutching his shirt tightly, tear stains streaking her porcelain face and his shirt, and her lips moving subtly, murmuring the horrible things she felt when Gaho touched her in her dream. Touya began to lay her down softly and was about to leave, but Meilin woke back up and firmly grasped his tear-stained shirt.  
  
"No! No," Meilin started shaking her head murmuring, "No. Onegai, please don't leave me. He'll get me! He said so, that he'll get me. Then he said he'd kill you. Don't leave me, please!" A fresh batch of tears was beginning to form, "Stay here with me, please Touya."  
  
Touya stiffened. She called him by his first name. He met her rusty red eyes in the dark and for once they weren't looking at him with annoyance, disgust or anger. They were begging, pleading, and scared. Touya nodded and slipped under the covers in his clothes. Meilin loosened her grip on his shirt, but didn't completely let go. She rested her head on his chest with her arms tucked around him. Touya stiffened at this gesture. After a while he calmed down and wrapped his arms around her protectively, completely forgetting that she wasn't wearing anything at all.  
  
--- Morning ---  
  
Meilin opened her eyes and quickly shut them again when the sunlight beamed down on her. She snuggled down and felt something warm beside her. 'Oh no,' she thought, 'Why do I have a feeling I've done this before . . .' Meilin cautiously opened her eyes and saw Touya sleeping with his head leaning against the wall. 'Oh.' She brushed his bangs back with her hand only to fall back down over his eyes, letting the memories from the night before flood her mind. Meilin quietly got out of bed, trying not to wake him. She realized she was wearing nothing.  
  
'Kuso! I asked him to stay when I had nothing on!' she blushed; quickly grabbing her robe she had placed on a chair. 'He saved me, again.' She brushed down her hair and ran, stopping at the doorway. 'He saved me twice.' She walked back to Touya.  
  
"I'm sorry. You saved me twice and this time I have nothing to offer to repay you this time." Meilin said this to Touya's sleeping face. Meilin bent over and gave him a slight kiss on his lips. "Thank you," she said, her lips still over his. With that she walked out, leaving a sleeping Touya behind in her bed with the subtlest smile.  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
To be continued . . . 


	6. To Be Equals, To Be More

To Be Equals, To Be More  
  
  
  
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Meilin, Touya, and the whole group were on a ferry, touring the area and browsing the street markets.  
  
"Wai! Yue-kun! Look at all the pretty fans!" Nakuru squealed and pulled a glomped Yue over to the fan booth. Everyone laughed and walked over to where Nakuru had run off. Meilin smiled and walked toward a booth that sold hair ornaments.  
  
'Kirei!' Meilin thought handling a paled peach flower-shaped hairpin that had red jewels in the middle and gold rimming on it. There were strands of pale white silk tumbling down from the pin as if it was to pose for hair. 'These are so pretty!' The shopkeeper saw Meilin looking at the pin with awe from the corner of her eye.  
  
"Fabulous choice," she spoke up startling Meilin, "It really would suit you."  
  
Meilin blushed, "Oh, I was just looking."  
  
The shopkeeper had long black hair tied up in a traditional oriental bun. She was wearing a timid robe that was a nice robin's egg color. She looked very young, about Yelen's age. Her eyes were pale blue and shining.  
  
"No, no, no . . ." the shop keeper came over to Meilin and fingered her long black hair, "It really would look beautiful on you." The lady gently arranged the pin into her hair, "Black hair with peach and red; really does go together." The shopkeeper smiled and took another identical pin and arranged it next to its twin. The lady started dressing her up with different jewelry and hairpins, taking some off to see what would go with her best. In the end, only the pins stayed in. "Perfect. They look so nice on you, it would be a shame to let some other girl wear them. Keep them, dear."  
  
"Oh no, I can't. I couldn't keep them." Meilin took out the pins and placed it back into the lady's hand. The lady shook her head and placed them back in Meilin's hand. Meilin took out her small purse, "Well, let me at least pay for them."  
  
The lady smiled and shook her head softly, "No, no, no. One should not pay for the things another gives as a gift."  
  
"But these are very expensive looking. It would be a great sale for you and your shop."  
  
"Now, Li-san, you wouldn't want to deny a poor old lady now do you?" the lady chuckled.  
  
Meilin laughed a little, "You're not old. You're really young for - -" Meilin stopped, "How do you know my name?"  
  
"How can I not? You are the niece of Yelen-sama, one of the most powerful mages in the world. Not to mention beautiful." Meilin blushed again.  
  
"You know that I'm a mage then?" Meilin whispered.  
  
"Of course, the Li clan has two or three every generation," the lady sighed.  
  
"Meilin! Meilin-chan! We're going home now!" Sakura yelled out happily.  
  
"Alright! I'll be right there!" Meilin called back. She turned back to the shopkeeper, "I have to give something for these. It's just too much."  
  
The lady's eyes saddened and clouded over. She caressed Meilin's cheek and slowly brought it down to the edge of the her robe near her neck. Carefully, she moved the hem of her robes aside just a little, revealing brown, blue, and dark violet bruises on her shoulder and neck. Meilin was surprised at how the shopkeeper could've known when they were hidden. "Please keep the hair ornaments. It's the least I can do," she whispered this very softly. Meilin winced when the lady applied pressure to the bruises. She quickly took her hand away.  
  
"What do you mean, 'The least you can do?' You didn't do anything," Meilin asked confused. In the background she could hear everyone calling for her to come.  
  
"It is the least I can do, for giving birth to the monster that did this to you." The shopkeeper looked as if she was going to cry. "He tried to taint you, he almost broke you, he - -"  
  
"LI, didn't you hear us?" Touya interrupted stepping beside Meilin. "We need to go." He paused and gave a semi-curious look at the teary shopkeeper. "What going on?"  
  
Meilin snapped her head in his direction. "Nothing, everything is fine, just fine," she said quickly, but then added softly so no one could hear her, "I think." Meilin gave one last confused, sad, but grateful look. "Thank you for the pins," she said as turned to return to the group.  
  
Touya also turned to leave, but the shopkeeper suddenly grabbed his wrist to stop him. He raised an eyebrow at this gesture.  
  
The shopkeeper gave an intensive look at Touya. "You take care of her and keep him away. She will be far too precious to you to be tainted by someone as evil as him. You take care of her and yourself, you must." She forced something into his hand went to the back of the shop, leaving Touya standing there, confused and clueless. She opened his hand and found two gold chains with a small pendant on each. One pedant had a small inscription on it and the other a red jewel imbedded in it. Looking back up to stare at the exit the shopkeeper used to leave in.  
  
"Strange," he murmured to himself and pocketed the necklaces, walking back to the group, where Nakuru glomped Yue for buying her a beautiful fan.  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
To my best friend Touya Kinomoto.  
  
Everyone was sitting in the library to plan and talk about the upcoming wedding. Meilin and Touya just stayed silent, not participating in the plans. There was a white envelope in Touya's hand. On the back in beautiful script, was his name and another name. Yukito. He just kept staring at it, unsure if he would want to open it.  
  
Touya looked over at Meilin who was cuddled up on the red leather seat, dozing off as Tomoyo and Sakura were asking what flowers she wanted at the wedding. He gave an inward smirk that resembled a smile. She, too, did not care for this wedding, and did not want to do with anything that had to do with it. His eyes wandered back to the white envelope in his hands.  
  
How long has it been? How long has it been since Yukito left for England with Kaho? Touya gave a small depressed laugh. Ironic twist, his two past lovers turned to each other. Touya ripped open the envelope, concealing a photograph and a sheet of paper with a neat scribble on it.  
  
"Dear Touya,  
  
How are you? England is really beautiful right now. I'm sure someone has told you already; Kaho and I had a child, a beautiful baby girl. She has her eyes. Kaho named her Ari. We heard about your wedding and will arrive with the four Li sisters soon to attend! Isn't this exciting? Good Luck!  
  
Yuki."  
  
Touya sighed and switched the photograph with the letter. Yuki was kneeling next to Kaho in a wheelchair, holding a small baby. Pure joy was all over their faces, laughing at their child. Touya growled softly underneath the chatter of everyone else. They were looking down at the baby and embracing each other, so full of . . . love.  
  
Touya just stared angrily at the picture. Suddenly, it burst into flames. Everyone looked up from what they were doing, surprised. The crystals glass windows and the porcelain decorations and vases started trembling around the library. The windows shattered, along with the porcelain pieces. Eriol and Sakura automatically cast a barrier around everyone, but Meilin was knocked away from the protection of the shields by a vase before she was in the safety of Sakura's magic.  
  
The pieces of glass and porcelain flew toward Touya, crashing against him, slicing his skin. Soon there was blood trickling down him. He didn't scream. The sharp dagger like pieces kept coming at him. Everyone looked in horror and shock. They were frozen, not understanding what was going on.  
  
Meilin stared as she avoided the vases crashing down near her. She looks at Touya's face. There were tears streaming down his face. 'Touya'  
  
Meilin suddenly got up to her feet and ran toward Touya. She was able to dodge more harmful shattered pieces as she ran toward him. As she got closer to him, it became harder to reach him. Sakura was crying because of how much blood there was and she didn't know what was happening to Touya. Yelen and Fujitaka looked worriedly at Touya and Meilin, both in danger of what Touya can do.  
  
"Kinomoto! Stop this! What's going on?" Meilin yelled as she raised her arms to guard her face. "Kinomoto!" More blood seeped though the gashes and more tears escaped his eyes. He ignored her as if he was deaf to the world. Her eyes started to fill with tears also, blurring her visions. That expression on his face, the tears and everything else, she knew what was wrong. A flame caught Meilin's attention. A picture of Mizuki and Yukito with their baby was in flames and the corners of the sheet curled up as it burned.  
  
Meilin's vision blurred even more, now knowing why this was happening. 'He still loves Yukito-san.' She lost focus, because during her shock and understanding, a large broken mirror shattered against her. She cried out in pain as she fell to her knees. Yelen, who always had a mask of calmness and structure, cried out as she saw Meilin wounded on her back. She cried out and her knees gave out, only to let Fujitaka catch her before she was in a heap on the floor.  
  
Tomoyo and Sakura were desperately trying to get to Meilin, to help their friend, but Eriol and Syaoran held them back as they tried to wrench out their partner's grasp. Kero, now Keroberus and Suppi, now Spineal, were looking down at the ground as Nakuru was crying, allowing Yue to stare coldly at the scene before them and tried to comfort his counterpart. No one would help, they couldn't.  
  
Meilin winced as she stood up; her back was cut deeply with pieces of the mirror in her back. Touya's destruction became fiercer, and his silent screams soon turned into real screams of rage. Meilin's vision became blurred once more; she was only a few feet from him. She broke into a run, and threw her arms around him waist and a huge red flash filled the library, causing everyone to shield their eyes from the blinding light. When everyone opened their eyes, the room was the way it was before, if not better.  
  
Before the group, were Touya and Meilin lying on the floor. Their shirts was bloodied and torn. Meilin was glowing red, arms still around his waist. Touya woke up and sat up weakly as everyone ran over to him. He just ignored them, staring at Meilin as she groaned and fluttered her eyes opened. Her eyes turned back to the crimson red eyes they used to be. She closed them again and fell asleep.  
  
Fujitaka tried to take and pick up Meilin from Touya, but he held onto her, still ignoring everyone's fussing.  
  
'How do you do it, Li? You loved that Chinese Gaki, and he chose Sakura over you. And you accept and bless their love. How do you do it? Why can't I do that?' Touya mentally said this to her.  
  
"Onii-chan! Talk! Say something! Are you alright?" Sakura was in hysterics. Touya just ignored her again.  
  
He bent over and kissed her softly on her lips. Again, everyone froze in shock. Lips still lingering on hers, Touya whispered softly, "Thanks, Meilin."  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
To be continued . . . 


	7. With No Regrets

With No Regrets  
  
  
  
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"Get out!" Meilin screamed and threw a glass cup against the wall. "I said get out!" Yelen tried to calm her down, but Meilin resisted and her hands started to glow red. Sakura quickly summoned her cards Shield and Sleep. The fairy-like women form of the cards quickly worked on Meilin, causing her to sleep. "No! I need to see Touya! No, I don't want to slee- -" She was cut off and slumped back onto her pillow.  
  
Yelen shook her head softly, "Thank you, Ying Fa. You may leave since now I can dress her wounds without any disturbances."  
  
"Is she alright?" Syaoran asked when Sakura came out of Meilin's bedroom closing the door behind her. She just sighed and wiped the sweat on her hands on her pants.  
  
"Uh-huh." Sakura sighed, "She's asleep. Yelen was trying to get Meilin so drink a tranquilizer, but she keeps throwing the glass against the wall. She wants to get out of the room."  
  
Syaoran sighed and raked his hair with his hand. "Your Onii-chan is no help either. He won't speak to anyone. He just stares out the window and at the burned up picture of Yuki-san and Mizuki-san."  
  
Rubbing her eyes she yawned, "Speaking of my onii-chan, Meilin keeps saying she needs to see him. I think she was about to blast me away when she saw the sleep card. Ooh." Sakura gave a slight moan as Syaoran massaged her shoulders.  
  
"Ying Fa, you're trying to hard."  
  
Sakura sighed, "I have to. Touya is my brother and Meilin is one of my best friends, soon to be my sister. Everything is so complicated just because of one marriage. Meilin keeps getting hurt, then Touya got hurt."  
  
"It's not your responsibility. It's theirs." Syaoran rubbed her back, "Let's go to bed, it's late." Sakura yawned again and followed him into their room next to Meilin's. Sakura gave him a light kiss on his lips.  
  
"You always are the reasonable one." She said this as they closed the door  
  
  
  
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"Touya, please speak to me." Fujitaka sighed and Eriol was dressing Touya's wounds. His father suddenly took out the burnt picture of Yuki and Kaho. "Is this the reason? Are they the reason you wouldn't move on?"  
  
Touya looked away and stared out the window.  
  
"Yes, this must be it," Fujitaka said halfly to himself, "You still love him, that's why you objected to this marriage." Fujitaka threw the photo down. "Why can't you see that he has moved on Touya? He has moved on, but you have not."  
  
Eriol raised an eyebrow and then nodded to himself, leaving the bedroom for his other reincarnation half to speak with his half-son. Fujitaka started to pace back and forth in front of Touya.  
  
"Touya, he is married, to Kaho Mizuki. He loves you, Touya, just not the way you wish for him to. That kind of love is for Mizuki." The senior Kinomoto glanced and Touya, who did respond. He became angry.  
  
"Touya! Your love for him is hurting you! Not only on the inside, but now physically! Why do you think I made this arrangement, this marriage for you? Just for you to hate me?"  
  
He grabbed Touya's shoulders and shook his slightly, "You may not care if you are suffering and torturing yourself, but you're not only hurting yourself, Touya! What about your little sister! Sakura is pushing herself too hard trying to make everyone happy! Syaoran and Tomoyo are depressed seeing Sakura so stressed out! Eriol is worried for Tomoyo! I am worried for you and everyone else, seeing how this affects everyone! Yelen-san is worried for her son and her niece! And lastly, Meilin . . ."  
  
Touya suddenly looked up at the mention of the ruby-eyed dragoness.  
  
"Meilin risked her life to save you. From what? Yourself! It's amazing how determined she was without being in love with you!" Fujitaka sighed and sat down in a chair, resting his head on his arm. "Touya, I will speak to Yelen- san. I think it will be best that the two of you do not marry. Happy, Touya?" Fujitaka looked up and stared at his son. "You win, there will be no wedding."  
  
Touya looked out the window and closed his eyes. "Get out."  
  
"Touya - -"  
  
"Father, just. Just get out." Touya lied down on his father's bed with his back turned to him. His father just sighed and left the room.  
  
  
  
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--- --- --- ---  
  
'Where am I? Why is this place so dark?' Meilin opened her eyes only to see the dark. She tried moving her arms and legs but couldn't. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw that they were chained to a stonewall. 'What the hell-'  
  
"Meilin, don't you dare think I forgot about you, my Dragoness, I'll come for you soon, and Kinomoto too." Meilin gasped at the voice and saw a dark figure in front of her. His ice-cold hands cups her chins, sending shivering chills down her spine.  
  
"Don't touch me!" Meilin spat into his face.  
  
It was Gaho. He slowly wiped the spit off his cheek. Suddenly he grabbed her throat, "Be warned, my dragoness, it won't be long until you will join me here, forever. And it won't be long until Kinomoto dies." He slapped her hard across the face, causing her to suddenly feel like she was being pulled into a dark hole.  
  
--- --- --- ---  
  
Meilin jerked forward. She looked outside and saw the full moon. Nakuru and Yue were flying around and Meilin smiled as they embraced. She had cold sweat all over her. Her thin robes clung to her from the moisture. Her bandages wrapped around her chest and back were stained with dried blood. She groaned as she tried to stand, her gashes on her back were reopening again. Meilin held back the small tears from the stinging sensation filled her senses. Also from his message, Gaho's message, his warning.  
  
Meilin's hands glowed red with anger toward Gaho. She yelped in surprise. She forgot; her debt has been repaid. Her powers were returned to her from Touya because of her contract. She saved him - from himself.  
  
There was a knock at the door.  
  
"Come in," Meilin said hoarsely and quietly. Tomoyo came in with a bucket of warm water, cloth, and fresh bandages.  
  
"Oh, Meilin-chan, I didn't know you were awake until I heard you moving around inside. I'm here to change your bandages." Meilin nodded and lied down on her bed on her stomach after removing her all of her robes. Tomoyo helped unwrap the old bandages carefully, trying to be as gentle as she can so the reopened cuts would not hurt Meilin as much. It was silent, until Tomoyo broke it. "Meilin, do you still hate Touya-kun?"  
  
Meilin was about to say yes, but for a moment she had to think about it, "I don't know."  
  
"Would you feel hurt if he fell in love with someone else?"  
  
Meilin bit her lip, "I-I don't know."  
  
Tomoyo knew that she was making Meilin uncomfortable, but she needed the truth, to see if what Fujitaka and Yelen is doing to the two of them is doing any good. "Well then, would you love him, if he loved you back?"  
  
Meilin closed her eyes shut and a vision of Touya saving her flashed through her mind, her first kiss, him pushing her on a swing, helping her feel like a child again. Meilin choked, "I- -" She was cut off by more knocking at the door.  
  
"Come in," Tomoyo said. The door opened to reveal Touya standing there, also in bandages. His shirt was open to show he was as injured as Meilin. Tomoyo yelled out quietly and rushed to him, "Touya-kun! You should be in bed resting! Your not going to get any better walking around like this."  
  
Touya didn't say anything; he just stared at Meilin's back. Every movement she made, made the gashes bleed more, and he knew that he was at fault. "Daidouji-san, please leave."  
  
"W-what?" She looked at Touya's face, and sighed, "Oh, alright. Good Night." Tomoyo walked out of the room, without a glance back. Touya just stood there and Meilin was still lying on her bed.  
  
"Why did you do it? Save me? You were so determined to save me and look what it did to you." Touya said this as he walked over to her. Meilin didn't know how to respond.  
  
"Was it wrong for me to do that? You are so in love with Yukito-san; look at what that did to you." Meilin bit back at him. She waited for him to respond, to snap back at her, anything, but he just sat on the edge of her bed. She tried to get up and face him, but he gently, but firmly pushed her back down onto her stomach.  
  
"Don't move. It just makes it worse." She felt warm water trickling onto her back.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm changing your bandages, what do you think I'm doing?" Touya gently wiped the blood away with the cloth soaked with warm water. Meilin bit back a moan as he rubbed the stains away; there was a mix of pain and soothing- ness to what he was doing. "You didn't answer my question, Li."  
  
"What question." Meilin knew what question; she just didn't want to answer it.  
  
"You already know what question. Why did you save me?"  
  
Meilin closed her eyes and started to breath very slowly. Touya pulled her up to wrap the bandages around her chest. At the moment, she did not shy away from him because of her nakedness for reasons like him already seeing her that way anyways.  
  
"Because you still love him." Meilin said abruptly.  
  
Touya suddenly stopped applying the bandages, "W-what?"  
  
"You still love Yukito-san! That is why you hurt yourself unintentionally because you can't get your emotions straight! I did it because, oh I just did!" Meilin tried to stand up and walk over to the other side of the room where the other half of the bed was, but Touya grabbed her shoulders and set her down again.  
  
"I'm not done," he said continuing, "Finish your answer."  
  
Meilin sighed angrily, "I already did. You still love Yukito-san."  
  
"I know that part," He tucked in the end of the bandage, "But why did YOU save me." Meilin didn't say anything; she just sat there with her back to him. He gently pressed down on her back making her wince and exhale through her teeth. "Why?"  
  
"Because," Meilin paused as Tomoyo's earlier question echoed through her head, 'Would you love him, if he loved you back?'  
  
She mused, 'Do I love him? No, I don't. No, I don't know'  
  
"Because, I understand," Meilin said finally. Touya chuckled sadly.  
  
"Understand? How could you understand? You have never been where I have, or have you?" Touya already knew she has. She still has love for Syaoran, the Chinese Gaki that his Kaiju fell in love with. Yes, Touya knew, but he needed to hear her say it, needed her to tell him.  
  
"Do not play stupid with me, Kinomoto," Meilin growled, "You already know. I may be stubborn, competitive, and I even admit I'm very childish, but I never forget a face when I see one . . ." Meilin got up and sat behind him, and started unraveling his old bandages. "When I was still back in Tomoeda, my last night there, I passed by your room." Touya felt her hand push him down onto the bed, then warm water washing over his cuts on his arms and back. "Unfortunately, I decided to take a rest at your bedroom doorway. I knew you saw my memories, the one about my red sparrow especially."  
  
Touya said nothing, he just absorbed the soothing feeling of the clothes gently rubbing against the gashes he has created earlier. "How do you do it?"  
  
Meilin started concentrating on washing the blood away. He had much more wounds than her. "Do what?"  
  
"You still love that Chinese Gaki, though you bless both him and Sakura being together. How? Why?"  
  
"Tomoyo used to love Sakura. She said that Sakura's happiness is her happiness. Tomoyo always believed that, and she moved on, found Eriol. I thought, it would work for me. His happiness would be mine, and someday I would moved on when the time is right, but it looks like I don't have a choice now." Meilin eyes welled up and two tears fell onto Touya's back, the salt stinging him slightly.  
  
Meilin continued rubbing his back with warm water, occasionally releasing a tear. She suddenly fell forward as Touya whipped around onto his back as he grabbed her and engulfed her into a tight hug. "Teach me."  
  
"Teach you what." Meilin muffled into his bare chest.  
  
Touya inhaled the familiar peach fragrance from her long raven hair. He remembered the scent from one of their very first encounters in their dreams. "To move on. Use his happiness as mine."  
  
"I don't know how to." Meilin tried to get off of him, but only caused his to groan softly from the healing gashes. She stopped squirming and moving around to cease his pain. "I'm still trying to learn." Meilin became drunk on his masculine scent: the burning cold of autumn and winter, mixed in with the scent of pinewood.  
  
Touya shifted his body slightly, letting her hair move lightly across his skin. For reasons he did not know, for once he did not wish that it were Yuki in his arms, only her. He was content with her staying on top of him, so close, so warm.  
  
All thoughts of Syaoran, the Elders, Gaho, and the rest of the Li Clan were erased from Meilin's mind. Her duty to marry, her duty to obey the Elder's orders flew out the window to join Yue and Nakuru's night time flight. She felt, comforted being this close to him, with no space between them. She subtly nuzzled into his chest.  
  
"Then help me." Touya hugged her again and placed her under him. Meilin just stared at nothing in particular. He started lightly brushing his lips against the skin on her neck, causing Meilin to shiver.  
  
"How?" Meilin whispered as if her life depended on it.  
  
Touya's light brushings became soft kisses on her shoulder and her neck. Too much has happened to him that night, and he had nearly experienced every emotion that night: anger, resent, gratitude, wanting, and jealousy. The only emotion he had left was - he didn't know what he was feeling, but as far as he was concerned, she only existed right now.  
  
'What am I doing? What about Yuki?' Touya pushed that question to the back of his mind. Fujitaka's words floated aimlessly in a dark void in his mind, "Touya, he is married, to Kaho Mizuki. He loves you, Touya, just not the way you wish for him to." Touya continued to caress Meilin's neck and shoulder with light feather kisses, leading up toward her jaw.  
  
Meilin closed her eyes. 'What about Syaoran? I still love him.' Yelen's voice rang through her ears, "You claimed you do not love my son, Xiao Lang, the way it was to be before he has given HIS heart to the Card Mistress, but I still see you love him, giving you reason to fight out of this arrangement." Meilin held back a sob.  
  
'Syaoran could never love me. Not in that way, only for Sakura.' Meilin slowly started to respond to Touya.  
  
At the same time, they both thought the same thing, "I need to move on."  
  
Touya's light lip brushings finally reached Meilin's lips, but he stopped at stared right at Meilin and she stare right back. "Help me move on by --"  
  
He didn't get to finish his sentence. Meilin wrapped her arms around his neck and pull him toward her, crushing his lips onto hers. They did not break apart until a long time. With each kiss, each scar started to glow and heal completely. Auras blazed in heat as they embraced, red mingling and swirling around with gold, like a fire dance.  
  
  
  
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"Ooh," Sakura woke up as the beams of sunlight streaked through the blinds and Syaoran shaking her shoulder. For some reason she couldn't sleep last night. She didn't remember why she couldn't sleep "Syaoran, did you sleep well last night?"  
  
Her fiancé swung his legs to the side of the bed and shook his head. "Some weird noises kept me from sleeping. You gotten scared and kept moving around." Syaoran yawned and pulled his shirt over his head. Sakura remembered now. She heard strange noises last night, thinking they were ghosts. Syaoran wouldn't wake up so she tried to shake him out of his sleep. Sakura yawned and stretched.  
  
"I'm going to go check on Meilin-chan! See if she still angry with me," Sakura jumped off the bed and changed into her formal robes. Merrily, she skipped over to Meilin's bedroom. She knocked on it and waited for Meilin to open the door.  
  
There was no response. Knocking again, Sakura gave a slight noise of impatience. She opened the door quietly, "Meilin, are you awa -"  
  
There was a loud shriek that rang throughout the manor. Everyone came rushing toward the scream. Syaoran came running out of his room to see a flushed Sakura standing out side of Meilin's closed door.  
  
"Ying-Fa, Sakura, what's wrong, why did you scream?" Syaoran wrapped his arms protectively around her. Sakura started blabbering.  
  
"Nothing is wrong! Everything is fine. Let's go back to bed. I am tired. Come on everybody, let's leave Meilin to rest and eat breakfast." Sakura grabbed Syaoran's hand and started to pull him toward the dining room, but he planted his feet where they were.  
  
"Sakura, what's going on? You said you were going to check on Meilin -" Syaoran said suspiciously. Suddenly Tomoyo gasped and clamped her hand over her mouth. Yelen began to worry and Fujitaka clenched his fists.  
  
"What's wrong with Meilin -" Syaoran asked, as Sakura turned red in the face.  
  
"Nothing! Can't we go eat? I'm famished!" Sakura said trying to hide her nervousness. Syaoran went over to the door to open it. Tomoyo whispered into Eriol's ear and he gave a smile.  
  
"My cute little descendant, I wouldn't open the door if I were y-" Eriol started, but he already walked into the room.  
  
Syaoran froze and flushed. Everyone else walked into the room and imitated his actions as well. On one of the halves of the beds, Meilin was sleeping - on top of Touya. Their blanket was covering them both only to show their bare shoulders and backs. They were sleeping soundly and peacefully, with their breathing synchronizing each other's.  
  
Meilin stirred softly and woke. She lifted up her head and saw the group standing at the doorway. She flushed and squeezed Touya's waist as she hugged him and nuzzled her now burning cheeks into his chest. Touya felt the heat coming from her and opened his eyes. As his vision focused, he saw the stunned group.  
  
Meilin just continued to nuzzle into his chest and Touya gave her a slight smile. Putting his check against the top of her head, he waved his hand at everyone to tell them to go away. They suddenly glowed gold and were gently pushed out of the room, slamming the door in their faces.  
  
The group just stood there, in silence. Yelen was the first to speak. "I, um," she started. Fujitaka smiled at her. She returned the friendly gesture, "I guess, Kinomoto-san, the wedding is back on schedule?"  
  
  
  
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Meilin cuddled against Touya, trying to absorb his warmth from the slight chill. She closed her eyes and sighed. Touya pulled up the blankets to cover their bare shoulders. He looked down at her and murmured against her hair. "No regrets?"  
  
"No," she murmured against his skin, "No regrets."  
  
  
  
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To be continued . . . 


	8. Leaving Her

Leaving Her  
  
  
  
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"Excuse me," Meilin said quickly, running out of the dining room and into the restroom. Everyone winced at the sound of her retching. She came back in pale, wiping her forehead.  
  
"Meilin, are you okay?" Tomoyo asked with a questioning look as everyone was looking wearily at her. She nodded.  
  
"I'm fine. The wedding is in two days now, I must be getting nervous, even though this marriage was arranged and against my will, but still, it is my wedding."  
  
"But, Meilin-chan! You and Touya had s-" Tomoyo started but Eriol covered her mouth with his hand just in time.  
  
"Not at the table, my Blossom," he whispered into her ear smiling. Tomoyo blushed and nodded, as Sakura was confused on what was going on. Meilin picked up a piece of fish and paled again.  
  
Yelen started interrogating Meilin. "I don't understand, Niece. We asked the chefs to changed your food, we tried giving you some herbal medicines to calm yourself, and we even got one of the medicine mages to take a look at you and all she did was come out of your room chuckling merrily, telling us that everything is fine. Are you sure we don't need to take you to the hospital?"  
  
"No." Meilin said this sternly and through her teeth. "I told you I am fine."  
  
Everyone became quiet and suddenly felt a small, faint aura for a second.  
  
"What was that?" Touya asked quietly. Meilin suddenly became alarmed for some reason.  
  
"Probably nothing," Meilin gritted though her teeth nervously clutching her abdomen protectively. "Let's eat!" She picked up a piece of fish again and paled.  
  
"Meilin?" Yelen asked.  
  
"Excuse me!" She ran out of the room and the sound of retching came once more, making everyone loose their appetites. Syaoran looked at his mother confused.  
  
"Mother, aren't these the symptoms when you were - -" he started, but interrupted by the loud sound of metal chopsticks clanging down onto the table and scraping of chairs. Yelen, Tomoyo, Sakura, and Nakuru suddenly jumped up and ran out of the room toward where Meilin was. Nakuru ran out of the room squealing with glee. Syaoran's eyes suddenly widened, "Oh no."  
  
"What?" Touya narrowed his eyes at Syaoran. Since Sakura and Yelen weren't there, he talked freely without getting his foot stomped on. "Chinese Gaki, you better tell me what's going - -" Touya suddenly stopped talking. His face paled snow white in realization. "Oh no."  
  
  
  
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Meilin cuddled into her pillows as Tomoyo and Sakura paced around the room in front of her. Nakuru was sitting in the chair, taping the whole scene before her. Tomoyo had sparkles in her eyes, clasping her hands together with happiness.  
  
"Aw! This is so romantic! Touya and Meilin were secret lovers! During the day they would act as if their hearts were made of ice and as the sun went down they embrace with the most powerful love! KAWAII! I love it!"  
  
Meilin gave Tomoyo a confused look and she turned red, "Um. Tomoyo- chan, that isn't really -"  
  
Eriol, who was leaning against the doorway, interrupted her. He had a talent for catching Tomoyo when she was in her 'KAWAII' mode. "Dear Tomoyo, maybe we should cut back on the love scenes between Sakura and my Cute Little Descendant in those tapes, yes?"  
  
Tomoyo smiled and then suddenly pulled Meilin up to stand. Tomoyo fell to her knees and placed an ear on the side of her stomach. "I can't wait until it starts to kick! It's going to be so kawaii! I'm going to tape everything!" Nakuru squealed out and agreed with Tomoyo.  
  
"I hope it's a girl! Then we can dress her up and make her so pretty!" Nakuru snuggled inward clasping her hands as well. "No, wait! I hope it's a boy! Then we can tease him with his first crush!" Nakuru grabbed a nearby pillow and squeezed it tightly, "It doesn't matter! Boy or girl, it's going to be so KAWAII!"  
  
There was another knocking at the door. A maid stepped in and bowed, not looking at Meilin. "Yelen-sama has requested you in her presence, immediately, Meilin-sama." She bowed once more and left the room. Meilin nervously clutched her robe. The only time she went into Yelen's office was became of extreme importance.  
  
"I'm going to go," Meilin said quietly and left.  
  
---  
  
"Why am I here? Aunt Yelen?" Meilin was in Yelen's office. "Aunt Yelen?" Meilin became nervous, as she was kept alone in the large room. She couldn't take it anymore. She walked over to the double doors and tried to open them; it was locked. Meilin kept pulling, but in vain.  
  
"Aunt Yelen? Aunt Yelen! Let me out! Please! What's going on?" Meilin became afraid. The loneliness was becoming too much for her. "Aunt Yele-"  
  
The doors suddenly burst open and Meilin stepped back. Yelen came in her robes along with some men in white robes with silver hemming. Meilin backed up into the chair. One of the white robed men in the front stepped forward. "Is this the girl?"  
  
"Yes, Head Elder, it is she." Yelen said this bowing respectively.  
  
"My, she has changed, grown up, but another thing is different," he said, lifting up Meilin's chin. She became nervous. Why were the Elders there? "Something is very different, indeed."  
  
Yelen sighed softly and gave Meilin a reassuring look, but Meilin wasn't comforted. "She is the one betrothed to the Kinomoto youth. She bears a child." The Head Elder nodded approvingly. Meilin placed a hand on her abdomen protectively. What are they going to do?  
  
The Head Elder took out a necklace, with a shell on it. A vision of Gaho flashed into Meilin's mind and she froze. She closed her eyes shut as they placed it over her head, waiting for that torturing pain she went through before. Nothing happened except that - the abdomen started to glow with a faint peach color. Yelen smiled, "A girl."  
  
The Elder gave a slight frown, which worried Meilin. Suddenly, Meilin felt her body freeze, and she was not able to move. He took another object out now, a black onyx stone. It gleamed with a dark aura and if you gazed into it any longer, it seemed like it would burn your eyes. The raven-haired dragoness started to tremble once more. The Elder brought the stone slowly down toward Meilin's stomach.  
  
'The baby!' Meilin gasped. She screamed and the hold on her movements were broken as she leaped up out of the chair and flew over to the other side of the room with her red robes swirling around her. The Elders tried to restrain her and she fell, hitting her head on the side of the table, slightly knocked out. There were spots in front of her eyes, and then she slumped over, unconscious.  
  
  
  
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Meilin slowly opened her eyes. Millions of sounds came rushing to her: yelling of crying, reasoning, concerns, anger, shame, disrespect. Meilin slowly sat up against her pillow and looked at the sight before her. Touya was sitting in a red leather chair, wrapping a white cloth around his arm with red stains bleeding through it. Syaoran was yelling at the Elders as Sakura tried to pull the Li Clan Leader away from the Elders and Tomoyo trying to wake up Yelen, who was knocked out for reason Meilin did not know. Eriol was trying to hold back Fujitaka, who lost all his sensibility and was about to what seems like knock out the Head Elder. Yue and Nakuru stood right beside Fujitaka throwing icily looks at the Elders.  
  
"How dare you touch my cousin?! You could have killed her! She's carrying a child and you hurt her!" Syaoran said yelling as Sakura was pulling on his arm.  
  
"Meilin is a strong one, she would've been able to handle it!" said one of the Elders said. Syaoran growled and Fujitaka yelled.  
  
"Who are you to say that? She is a person! Flesh and blood of your very own clan! She is -" Fujitaka said enraged, but was cut off by the Held Elder.  
  
"She is raw power!" he said calmly and harshly, "That is all she is! Raw Power! She belongs to the clan, for us to control. And so is the child she bears!" Syaoran raised his hand as if to strike him, Sakura tried her hardest to pull his arm down.  
  
CRASH!  
  
The room was silent, and Syaoran's arm was still in Sakura's grasp. Everyone froze as Meilin looked up at the striker. Touya was standing over the Head Elder, who was on the ground. "Raw power? That is all she is? What else are you going to call her? An animal? Something you can test your little trinkets on?" Touya said this in a dangerous tone, giving Meilin the shivers.  
  
Syaoran narrowed his eyes along with everyone else in the room. "What 'trinkets'?" he asked with a deadly stare.  
  
Touya stretched out his arm toward Meilin and the shell necklace around her neck pulled off and flew in his hand. He threw it down onto the Head Elder's chest. "These trinkets, and the one two weeks ago when she almost died. You, clan elders, have killed one of your own as if she was a rat." Touya narrowed his eyes and stared icily at them and then looked at Meilin. His expression softened, but then he frowned and walked out of the door, confusing everyone.  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
Touya furiously threw his belongings into his bag. He was confused, he didn't know what was going on with him. In his mind, that annoying voice in the back of his mind kept ranting.  
  
"What are you doing?  
  
Why are you leaving? It's not like you have somewhere to go.  
  
What about your father? Sakura? You're just going to leave them?  
  
Father is going to be disappointed in you.  
  
And the marriage? What about that?  
  
What about the Li Clan?"  
  
Touya shook his head to try to silence the voice. "Shut up, I don't care! This is my life, and I'm going to make my own choices this time." Touya opened the drawers to take out more clothes and money. On top on his clothes were those two necklaces that that storekeeper forced into his hands.  
  
"You take care of her and keep him away. She will be far too precious to you to be tainted by someone as evil as him. You take care of her and yourself, you must." The storekeeper's words echoed sharply through his ears. That voice in his head started up again.  
  
"What about that forced promise you have to keep?  
  
What about your future child? You're going to let her grow up fatherless?  
  
What about -"  
  
The voice stopped and Touya's own voice completed the question, "Meilin." He was bonded to her in the biggest ways. He was the father to her child, and he knew that it was no mistake, because even if their unconscious pleasures were forced because of a drug, the child would've came anyways. Touya smiled faintly as flashbacks reoccurred in his mind.  
  
--- Flashback ---  
  
Meilin cuddled against Touya, trying to absorb his warmth from the slight chill. She closed her eyes and sighed. Touya pulled up the blankets to cover their bare shoulders. He looked down at her and murmured against her hair. "No regrets?"  
  
"No," she murmured against his skin, "No regrets."  
  
--- End ---  
  
Touya smiled widen subtly. He had no regrets for his actions, he still was confused. He took the necklace with the single red jewel and placed it on her pillow with a piece of paper. His expression saddened and then came to a blank, "Bye, Meilin."  
  
  
  
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To be continued . . . 


	9. To Take Care of One's Self

To Take Care of One's Self  
  
  
  
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Sakura and Syaoran looked out their window onto the garden maze. In the middle they watched worriedly at their friend. Never in their lives did they worry so much and this much for her, but here they are, what should be the happiest moment in her life, it was the beginning of a downfall.  
  
"Poor Meilin."  
  
"Your brother is a hypocrite. Stupid baka," Syaoran mumbled angrily.  
  
Sakura gave a small pout, "He's not."  
  
"He is," Syaoran growled. "He threatened that if I hurt you in anyway, he would come after me, make sure I die a sufferable death." The chocolate haired boy raked his hair, "But he left her, Sakura, he left Meilin. How could someone do that? How could YOUR brother do that?"  
  
Sakura bowed her head sadly, "I don't know. He's still recovering from Yuki's departure and desertion. Touya is still clinging onto old feelings."  
  
"Why?" Syaoran banged his hand on the windowsill, "Is Meilin not good enough for him? She is carrying his damn child! The child belongs to him, too! What does Yuki have that Meilin doesn't? Meilin gave your brother more than Yuki can, and still he left her!"  
  
"Maybe Touya is confused," Sakura sighed, "His feelings aren't straight, Xiao Lang. He loves Yuki and Meilin -"  
  
"He had sex with her. What was that, Sakura? Was that just screwing around with her? Was that just to relieve some kind of phase he was going through? Or maybe he was just imagining Yuki!"  
  
"Syaoran!" Sakura yelled out, clearly upset that her fiancé was talking about Touya like this. He sighed and sat down in a chair, shaking his head side to side in disbelief.  
  
"Sakura, no matter how much it seemed like I hated Touya, no matter how much it seemed like sometimes I wish he wasn't born, I admired him." He looked up at the auburn-haired girl, "He was so determined to keep me away to prevent hurting you, to prevent anything bad happening to you, when he was doing the same thing and trying to reach the same goal as me. But how can I admire him now?" Syaoran looked up at Sakura and walked over to her, embracing her, "He did the exact opposite of what he has been trying to do for all his years. To protect for any kind of harm whether it would be physical pain or emotional torture. But he left her, Ying Fa. He just abandoned what should be the two most important things in his life, Meilin and his baby."  
  
"I knew Touya all my life," Sakura hugged him tighter, "He would never leave to deliberately hurt Meilin. If he stayed, married her, made love to her, he would've probably hurt her more." She sighed, "Touya doesn't know his true emotions. Meilin knows this because she knows her own emotions are not completely true as well. How can Touya stay and pretend? It's not fair to him, and it's not fair to Meilin."  
  
Syaoran looked out the window at his cousin. "But Meilin loves him, I know she does."  
  
"I thought she would be happy that she doesn't have to get married anymore," the golden beast, who was witnessing this verbal exchange, raised his head and looked out of the window alongside with his mistress and master. The raven furred beast, which was basking in the sunlight, prowled over to Keroberus and whipped his head with his tail.  
  
"Baka Guardian. If she didn't like him then why did she mate him?"  
  
Sakura looked down onto the raven-haired beast, "Mate?" she asked amused. Syaoran only rolled his eyes and resumed watching his cousin.  
  
  
  
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"Love, please calm down." Eriol tried to put a stop to the amethyst-eyed beauty's pacing.  
  
"Calm down? Calm down, Eriol? How can I calm down?" Tomoyo yelled frantically, throwing her hands up in the air. "How can he do that to her, Eriol? Just leave without saying anything to her? Oh! I just want to -" Tomoyo made a frustrated noise.  
  
The couple was in the garden that was near a small fountain. Since everyone was alerted that Touya has left without a word, Eriol had to restrain Tomoyo from going out and tracking him down herself by bringing her to the garden to settle down. He had to speak with her in English since the gardeners and caretakers of the manor and property were staring at them unusually. Eriol just shook his head at Tomoyo's questions, "I don't know, love."  
  
"Why not?" Tomoyo snapped, "He's your half son!" She realized she snapped at him and heaved her shoulders, "Gomen, Eriol." She started to pace once more, "It's just that so much is happening and too many people are making everyone sad. Too many people are trying to hurt Meilin and too many people are trying to stop the two from getting together. And now a child is going to be involved in this."  
  
"He'll come back, Tomoyo."  
  
"But what if he doesn't? What kind of life would the child live without a father? What kind of life would Meilin live without a lover?"  
  
"Tomoyo, love," he grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him, "He'll come back for her, for their child, for everyone. Just give him time."  
  
"How long? A week? A few months? When the baby is already grown up? When -" Tomoyo suddenly stopped talking and was interrupted by a loud, panicking scream. Tomoyo gasped worried and started to cry, "Something is wrong again! That was Sakura! Something is wrong! How come nothing is going right?"  
  
Eriol tenderly picked her up, "Everything will be fine, now come. We must hurry to Sakura. Someone might be hurt." He gave her a hug and in a bright blue flash, they were gone.  
  
  
  
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Meilin sat on the bench in the garden, fingering the gold chain with a red-jeweled pendant around her neck. 'He left,' she thought, 'He's gone. Who is going to keep Gaho away now, especially now that I have a baby growing inside of me?' Meilin shook her head angrily. 'What's wrong with me? This isn't me!' She abruptly stood up and paced around in front of the bench. 'What happened to me! I can take of myself!' Meilin rubbed her stomach. 'And my child.' She sat back down and rested her head on the armrest of the bench, resting her eyes, slowly being pulled in by the dream world.  
  
She opened her eyes and gasped. She was on top of the Penguin slide. The playground was still rusting and old, nothing has changed from the last time. Meilin slowly climbed down the slide and sat on the course grass. 'I can take care of my child and myself. I took care of myself before, I can do it now.' Meilin stood up and then crashed back down. 'Why did he leave me?'  
  
Meilin picked herself up and started walking toward nowhere. She just walked forward, drone-like, not really caring what was going on around her. She began to go trough woods of thorns, scraping her skin, allowing tiny droplets of blood to flow out, tearing her clothes and staining her skin.  
  
She finally was out of the thorns, but kept walking. Meilin stopped suddenly and her eyes widened. There was one patch of fresh green surround by coarse grass. She started to run towards it as fast as she can as if it would disappear soon. She fell down onto the soft new grass and nestled into it. Flowers started to bloom as the patch of green expands and the skies started to clear up from the skies, revealing a sheet of black with twinkling stars.  
  
Her safe haven was back. It was safe wasn't it?  
  
"I could give you this you know." Meilin lifted up her head to see Gaho standing above her, "I could give you this paradise, with just a simple promise from you I can." There were tears raining down from her eyes.  
  
"Is it because that Kinomoto boy left you? Aw, what a pity." Cold fingers wrapped around her shoulders and Meilin shivered. She didn't move. "Didn't I tell you, my Dragoness? I told you should've have agreed to be wedded with me!"  
  
Silent tears trailed down Meilin's cheeks as he spoke. She hugged her legs as she rested her head on her knees.  
  
"He left you, my dear, just like Syaoran left you for the Card Mistress. Syaoran didn't love you, and neither does the Kinomoto. No one loves you. You should have married me! At least then you could pretend someone loves you!" Gaho began circling her, whispering into her ear. "But no, you refused me, and now the person you love has left you with one giant mistake!" Gaho pushed her down fiercely so she was lying on her back. A sword materialized in his hand and he brought it down right above her stomach, pricking her abdomen slightly. "That giant mistake which is your future daughter!"  
  
He bent down and whispered into her ear, "You can change what happened, my ruby-eyed mistress, you can change everything. Just say you will be mine, say that you belong to me and only me. Abandon your past," Gaho took away the sword from her stomach. "And when I say abandon your past, I mean abandon your child. She is the product of all your suffering and future sufferings. You will never have a good life because of her. Just say the words. Promise you'll love me, and I will ride you of your past."  
  
Meilin tears trickled down the corners of eyes. Pretend to be loved? Out of all the crazy things he said, she actually considered it. Pretend to love and be loved was better than nothing, wasn't it? "I- I promise -" She started to whisper, "I-promise to, to."  
  
'Coward.' Meilin eyes unfocused and a voice echoed through her head. 'You really think that is going to work? You are a coward, Meilin Rae Li. A pure coward.' A shopkeeper's imaged flashed before her. 'You really think my son will make you happy with something that is not there? Pretend? That is the same as nothing, same as a fake.' The women cupped her face, 'Where are you, Meilin? Because even you know that if you allow this to happen, you are not a Li, and you will never be a Kinomoto, and you will NEVER be Meilin. You will never be a mother if you kill your own flesh and blood with this disgusting promise. Not only will you ever be anything, but your daughter, will die, never ever knowing who created her, never ever knowing who would love her, and never ever knowing even who she would be.'  
  
Meilin's tears came crashing down. The shopkeeper continued with her robin blue robes swaying as she moved, 'Is that what you want, Li-sama? Is that what you truly want? Your future daughter to die, your friends forever locked away from you in the real world, and your family, your loved ones to be separated and isolated from you for all eternity? I have created a great burden for the world by giving birth to Gaho. Are you really going to give in to him?' The woman started to disappear. 'Being by yourself is not you, but neither is giving in to someone so tainted." The robin blue robed women disappeared and Meilin was left alone again, except for the presence of Gaho.  
  
"So, dear Dragoness, what will it be?" he asked.  
  
"I-I." Meilin eyes started to focus and suddenly narrowed, "I will never love you, and you will never hurt my child!" Meilin's hands glowed and blasted him off her as she staggered on her feet protectively holding her abdomen. The image around her shattered, showing the coarse grass and the charred trees, it was only an illusion. He would never really give her what she wanted. It was all lies and nothing was really there. A sickly brown orange beam of light was flung at her, cutting her leg. Meilin growled.  
  
A one on one battle emerged with massive powers. Meilin started to glow red and she rose up into the air with her hair flaring. Red orbs surrounded her and expanded, growing larger and larger.  
  
Looking at Gaho, his arms were blasted off and with a gigantic hold in his chest, blood dripping down him. He started to laugh.  
  
"Dear, Lady Dragon. I am in a coma, do you not remember?" The hole started to close up and his arms started to grow back. "Sleep is Death's sister. And with magic abilities, I have mastered even death itself. You cannot kill me, it's merely impossible now." He face scrunched up in anger, "You made a grave mistake."  
  
Vines sprouted out from the ground and wrapped around Meilin, suspending her in the air. A sudden fire busted out in a circle around her. Only in a few second did beads of sweat form on her forehead as the heat increased. She tried to blast out of the vines, but that only allowed the flames to increase and grow higher, surrounding her.  
  
"This is where I take my leave, my Dragoness," he said coldly. "It could've been better. You could've been with me. You could've been mine." He vanished in a gust of wind, leaving her in the middle of the fire.  
  
"I can take care of myself," Meilin whispered, as the tips of the flames subtly licked her skin, "And my child." She seemed and felt so confident about what she just said, but deep down inside, her real emotions cried out for the one she loved. Meilin bowed her head and started to weep. "Touya, where are you?" she asked murmuring, dizzying into the darkness that easily consumed her.  
  
  
  
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"Meilin?" Sakura asked as she walked around the bushes and hedges, calling out for her friend, "Meilin, it's time for dinner." Sakura walked around the maze like garden hoping she could find her before dark. "Meilin! Meilin where are -" The emerald eyed girl stopped and gave a sad smile to the sight in front of her. Meilin was curled up on the bench sleeping. Sakura quietly walked over and placed a hand on the raven-haired girl's shoulder, shaking her to walk up.  
  
She stood still not moving excepting her rising chest. Sakura's eyes widen when Meilin wouldn't wake up. She shook her harder, still no response. Sakura took one step back from where she was. Then she fell into a nervous wreck and scream.  
  
Syaoran came running to his Ying Fa as Eriol and Tomoyo came in a bright blue hue. Tomoyo's face was tear stricken and Syaoran had the look of worry in his eyes. "Sakura! What's wrong?" Sakura pointed to the figure curled up on the bench.  
  
Meilin was curled up in a ball, sleeping. Tears were on her face as the expression was one of discomfort, then fear, and then sorrow.  
  
"Meilin," she cried, "Meilin won't wake up . . ."  
  
  
  
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To be continued . . . 


	10. Clear Realizations

Clear Realizations  
  
  
  
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"All aboard, passengers destined for England, please board now," a voice over the PA system called out. Touya grabbed his bags and headed for the gate, handing the attendant his ticket. He boarded the plane, without hesitating or even thinking of the ruby-eyed dragoness.  
  
Or maybe he was . . .  
  
He was holding his necklace with the inscription on the golden plated pendant. He felt strange, and he had felt it before. He felt . . . guilty. He left his friends. He left his family. He left everyone. He left his child. He left . . . Meilin. Touya sighed and shook those thoughts out of his mind. It was too late. He couldn't go back. Why? He didn't know.  
  
Touya was exhausted. He couldn't think clearly and his thoughts were jumbling up and crashing together in a horrible symphony. "Is this what happens to you when you make the right choice? I thought it was suppose to be the opposite," he murmured to himself.  
  
"Hi, do you normally talk to yourself?" There was a young girl next to him, hair in a neat black bun and pale blue eyes shining. "Or is this just one of those moments?" She tenderly put a hand on his arm. He pulled away.  
  
"What do you want," Touya said stiffly.  
  
The girl giggled softly, "My name is Korein. What's yours?" She placed a hand back on his arm. He pulled away again, "Don't you want company? A cute boy like you shouldn't be all-alone . . ." She put a finger to her chin, "Oh! That must be it. You have a girlfriend don't you? Of course you do, a handsome boy like you . . ."  
  
"I don't have a girlfriend," he said gruffly trying to ignore the girl.  
  
"Then you must have a boyfriend! Your looks must attract both sides!" she said brightly.  
  
Touya narrowed his eyes at the girl and pulled his arm away from another of the girl's attempt to place a hand on his arm, "No. You're pretty straight forward and blunt, aren't you?"  
  
She nodded, "Of course! I am the kind of girl that knows what she wants."  
  
"Well, I'm a boy that knows what he wants," Touya said coldly, "And that someone is not you." The girl nodded.  
  
"Of course," she said, "You love Li-sama." She waved her hand over his eyes and a light sky blue light glowed from her hand, making him fall asleep. "You love Li-sama, Kinomoto-sama, and it is about time." She leaned back and closed her eyes, her image changing, growing older. "Yes, it's about time you realize you are to be with her."  
  
  
  
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Cold.  
  
That is all he could feel. Coldness, wind, ice, biting at his skin as if he was food. He opened his coffee eyes and look around. He was on a stone, circular platform that was about ten meters wide in radius. As he looked around him, snow was everywhere as gigantic ice shards stuck up from the ground as if they were icebergs out at sea made of snow. Snow, ice, and . . . nothing. That was all he could see.  
  
"Where am I?" he whispered to no one in particular.  
  
A voice from behind him answered, "Dreamscape." Touya spun around and saw a woman, black hair neatly in a bun with pale blue eyes. It was the girl . . . no, not the girl. This woman was obviously older, and very familiar. "You are in a dreamscape. A plane in your mind where dreams are created or to be created connected to others who can tune into the same plane. Like a radio, with the right frequency, everyone can hear the same thing." She looked at Touya's confused face, "What is wrong, Kinomoto-sama? Do you not recognize me?"  
  
Touya squinted his eyes slightly and then they widened in realization, "You were the shopkeeper from that day we went into the market."  
  
The shopkeeper nodded, "Korein Sheng at your service. Creator of a monster, Maker of THE Burden of the World . . . in other word, Kinomoto- sama, Mother of Gaho Sheng, the luster of Li Meilin Rae." Korein bowed and then looked up. "This is a dream, and I am here to make sure you fulfill the promise I have forced onto you."  
  
"Promise?" Touya started to walk closer to the women.  
  
"Do you not remember, Kinomoto-sama? The one where I told you that keeping Meilin Li-sama safe? Protected? Out of Gaho's reach? And you broke the promise, forgot the promise." Korein circled Touya, "Or maybe you didn't completely do that. For you are wearing something that is very important here."  
  
"Clothes?" Touya said icily.  
  
"Ah, your tone matches exactly this kind of dreamscape," she said, "Ice, coldness. Yes, I guess you would need clothing for this kind of place, even though it is a dream. But, no, not clothing. That necklace." She saw him shiver, "Cold, Kinomoto-sama? Tut-tut, that wouldn't do at all. If you can't even control how you feel, how are you to bend ideas here to your will?"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about, Sheng?" Touya gritted.  
  
"My, my, are you a slow one. Here's a hint or two. You have power, magic. This is a dream. Still don't know what I am talking about do you?" she asked watching Touya's still face. "Those with power can bend ideas here to their will, controlling their environment, their surroundings, and even people sharing the same space as well." She raised her arm into the air, "For example."  
  
Touya suddenly rose up into the air and was thrown back down again. He groaned painfully.  
  
"And here is another example," she said. Korein look around her and the whole space was suddenly burning hot. The snow transformed into flames of inferno, then turned back to the frigid landscape. Touya was still down on the ground. "Tut-tut, Kinomoto-sama. How on earth are you to beat a powerful monster I have trained under my wing if you cannot even beat the trainer?"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Touya groaned painfully.  
  
"Ah, that's right. You don't know." She waved her arm around the air above her and the sky turned into something that was like a viewing mirror. There, Meilin was, wrapped up in vines in midair; tall flames surround her subtly burning her up. "Take a wild guess who did this to her, Kinomoto- sama," she said gravely.  
  
Touya growled, "Gaho Sheng."  
  
"Not completely right!" Korein snapped at him, "You too, are partly to blame! Her confidence, her determination became dependant on you when you have arrived to her home. Now that you left her abandoned her, all efforts to fend for herself failed because she made a simple mistake." Korein waved her arm across the sky and the vision vanished, "She fell in love with you!"  
  
Something inside of Touya boiled, "And why would that be a mistake?"  
  
"Because you have left her. Her love is not returned to her. And this is the downfall of her life. She will be torture for the rest of her life; her soul will not move on, it will be trapped in her so-called haven."  
  
Touya looked down, letting the guilty feeling inside of him take over him. "Take me to her. Let me out of this dream. Let me go back." Seeing Meilin with the fire all around her pained him so much, much more than anything, more than Yuki drifting from him, more than his own powers hurting him. He closed his eyes, so he did not see Korein give an all- knowing smile.  
  
"And why, Kinomoto-sama, must I let you? How can I do that? That will abuse my morals and beliefs. Why must I let you? You don't deserve her, she deserves better. I believe it is my duty to keep you away from her. Let her be. Let her child grow up without you so she will never have to learn that her mother went though such desertion, such pain, all because of-" Korein was interrupted by Touya, who charged at her and grabbed her robes so they were face to face.  
  
"Because I love her. I know she deserves better. I WILL NOT allow my child to grow up without me, because she is my child, too! Who are you to keep me away from her?" His ice-cold voice was full of emotion, biting at Korein. She only smiled.  
  
"Are you sure about that, Kinomoto-sama?"  
  
Touya growled, "What do you think?"  
  
Korein smiled. "Good, we will begin."  
  
"Begin what?"  
  
"Your training, Kinomoto-sama. You are named one of the most powerful mages in the world, lets make that title real, shall we?"  
  
  
  
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"Dream Card!" Sakura called out her card. "Allow me to enter Meilin's dream!" The woman card vanished and swirled around Sakura and Meilin. Suddenly there was a sick brown flash, and Sakura bounced back into Syaoran.  
  
"Damn it!" she murmured. For days they have been trying to get her to wake up. Her fever rose each day, and since she wasn't eating because of her slumber, she feared for the child.  
  
Yelen entered the room and sadly caressed her sleeping niece's face. "Any word on your brother, Ying Fa?" Sakura looked down and shook her head. Yelen nodded sadly, "Obviously, this is some kind of magic that is rejecting anyone else's powers, but this is not Meilin's doing. It's Gaho."  
  
"Can't we just kill Gaho's body so she can get out?" Syaoran growled angrily.  
  
"Afraid not, my cute little descendent. If that happens, then he will be able to forever live on in the dreamscape and we will not be able to retrieve Meilin forever." Syaoran glared at Eriol and Eriol winced as Tomoyo stepped on his foot to show it was not the time to fool around.  
  
Yelen sighed unsteadily. "Find Touya, Ying Fa, bring him back to Meilin, she's . . ." Yelen had to steady herself on a table, "Meilin's dying, and the only thing we haven't tried is him."  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
Meilin felt her feet on the ground and noticed the scene change around her. Green. Lush green grasses swayed as the wind blew. The trees were filled with wonderful tulip leaves. She gave a look of disgust.  
  
"My dear, have you changed your mind yet?" Gaho appeared in front of her in rich clothing.  
  
Meilin stood up and turn her back onto him, "Go get screwed in the ass," she spat at him. For days now, he has made the illusion of her haven being the way it was before. No, it was only an illusion, nothing more, always less. Each day he would change the scene, making it beautiful, asking if she changed her mind. And each day, she would give a different reply, which gave the same meaning of answer. No.  
  
"Why do you hate me so?" He turned her around, "Is it because of that Kinomoto? Your feelings still cling to him. Or . . ." Gaho's expression scrunched up in spite, "Your baby is holding you back. My other offer still stands, my Dragoness. I will release you from your chains that binds you to your past."  
  
Meilin whipped her head toward his direction, "I REPEAT, go get screwed in the ass."  
  
"Fine!" The vines whipped up from the ground and wrapped around her again, suspending her in the air. The circle of fire rushed out of the ground as the grass turned to coal and the trees were nothing but burned up twigs. "Be that way, but I warn you MY Meilin, my patience is growing thin." He vanished into nothing and Meilin bowed her head, tears evaporating from the intense heat.  
  
  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
  
  
To be continued . . . 


	11. Almost Time

Almost Time  
  
  
  
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"Concentrate! You must learn to let this come naturally to you."  
  
Touya breathed steadily in and out, closing his eyes. He concentrated hard on everything he wanted to materialize. He heard a whooshing sound and opened his eyes. The frigid landscape began a golden autumn field, with gold wheat stacks and canary yellow wildflowers. The sky was a golden hue, the sun creak over the horizon.  
  
"Congratulations, Kinomoto-sama," clapped Korein, "Job well done."  
  
"How long was I here?" Touya asked wearingly. He was anxious to go, and still, it felt like an eternity in the dream.  
  
Korein smiled and looked at the newly scene he has made, "A few days, almost a week and a half." It felt like forever. There was never any sleep; only training and laying there on the hard stone platform, staring up at the sky when he would witness Meilin's torture and Gaho's attempts for her hand in marriage like it was a television screen. Of course, why would he need to sleep, he was already in a dream. Touya gave a small sigh with a hint of frustration.  
  
"A week and a half?!" Touya raked his coffee hair. "She's dying! I've been gone long enough!" Korein smiled.  
  
"It's almost time," she said giving an eerie smile. Touya narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Hey, what are you talking abou-" Touya started, but she suddenly vanished into thin air and heard a noise behind him. Turning on his heel, he suddenly noticed that he was in white traditional robes. Looking up ahead of him, he saw black robes. His eyes trailed up the figure and then he growled.  
  
"Hello, Kinomoto. How have you been?" It was Gaho, and he was smiling ever so smugly, "I've been good, thanks for asking. Of course how could I not be good, when I hear Meilin screaming out my name every night, of course, that is, after I've disposed of your child."  
  
Touya clenched his fists, repeating in his head, 'She didn't, she wouldn't let him. I know she wouldn't. He's lying.' He started to calm down. "Are you finished talking Gaho? Or can I finally bash your brains out?" he asked tranquilly. Gaho had no response. "Good" Concentrating hard, two swords materialized in Touya's hands. Gaho only smirked and did that same thing. He charged at Touya.  
  
Touya blocked every move Gaho threw at him with ease, with the sounds of metal clashing on metal filled his senses. Gaho started to swipe at Touya chest. Touya bend sideways to avoid the blades of the swords and swiped at his chest. Gaho's whole torso detached from his lower body where Touya stuck. Gaho was lying on the ground, body separated, with blood oozing out of the body, staining the stone platform.  
  
He started to stare at the shocked face of Gaho on his upper body, then he blink. Touya narrowed his eyes. Gaho blinked again. The expression on his shocked face started to change into one that was smirking. The arms picked the whole torso up and started to move like legs over to the lower half. Slowly, the blood seeped back in and the two body parts connected. Gaho stood up smirking as Touya watched in disgust.  
  
"Rematch, Kinomoto," he said, voice dripping with venom.  
  
A mini war broke out between them, this time, not using materialized swords. The weapon choice: themselves. Touya threw a glowing shard at Gaho, shaped exactly like Yue's shards. Gaho dodged and threw sick orange colored spikes at him. This went on and on, until Touya's leg was struck. He bit down onto his lips so he would not cry out. He held out one shard and it doubled, and then tripled, multiplying at a fast rate. Soon millions of shards surrounded him. Touya raised an arm towards Gaho, who was watching in shock. Millions of shards started to surround Gaho, creating a crystal like spear around him. The shards thrust into Gaho, killing him on the spot.  
  
His agonizing screams soon faded away as he turned to dust, that too slowly fading away. Touya was breathing hard. There was clapping coming from the other side of him  
  
"Congratulations, Kinomoto-sama. You passed."  
  
Touya spun around and starred at Korein. "What the hell do you mean 'I passed'?"  
  
"This was only a test. To see if you could beat this little replica. And when I say little, Kinomoto-sama, I mean little. Gaho is much more stronger than this. Now, rest." She made him sit down and waved over his eyes, making him knock out. Carefully she laid his head on her lap and looked at the sky, "It's almost time, Gaho."  
  
  
  
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People pushed pass Syaoran as he was walking around; searching for Touya, knowing that the chances are slim he would be here. He looked over at a shop that Meilin was browsing in from the last visit. He smiled when he saw his cousin have a small glimpse of joy when she was browsing those hairpins. Syaoran walked over and started to look trough some as a present for the Meilin and the rest of the girls, that is if Meilin ever woke up again.  
  
His hand was suddenly grabbed by an elderly woman's hand. Her hands did not show her age, but her eyes did. "Li-sama, I was wondering when you would be coming." He eyes looked up toward the woman. Blue eyes and raven hair. Her robes were a light faded robin's egg blue. "Come." She pulled his hand toward the entrance of the counter and to the back of the store, revealing a comforting home. After pulling him up a small set of stairs, she sat him down at a small table where two cups of tea were already there, steaming.  
  
"Who are you?" Syaoran asked curiously.  
  
The woman smiled and bowed her head slight, "Sheng, Korein, at your service, Li-sama." Syaoran's jaw dropped. Sheng? Gaho's mother.  
  
"You, you . . ." Syaoran didn't know exactly how to start this conversation.  
  
"I am what, Li-sama?" she asked a bit amused. Syaoran didn't say anything. "Gaho's Mother? Yes, I am," she answered for him. The chocolate haired boy finally spoke.  
  
"You left the clan around eight years ago, when I left for Tomoeda," Syaoran said. Korein nodded and took his hand.  
  
"I have something to show you, something you have been looking for," she said leading him to a bedroom. It was small and had an essence of warmth. There was a small desk with a lamp and a few papers scattered on it with a small chair to complete the set. His eyes traveled to the small comforter on the floor, and the person lying on it. Touya.  
  
Syaoran's eyes widened, staring at Touya, who was sleeping somewhat peacefully. Korein walked over and knelt by his side. "You kept him here all this time. We could've woken Meilin up by now. Don't you know what your son has done to her?" His voice contained rage and anger. Korein's eye narrowed at the Li clan leader.  
  
"Kinomoto-sama would have made no difference in Meilin-sama's condition if he had returned two weeks ago. How could he go when Gaho is almost beyond the powers of death?"  
  
"What do you mean 'beyond the powers of death?'" Syaoran asked confused.  
  
"Kinomoto-sama has been staying in the dreamscape, training. He has the potential to be one of the greatest mages in the world, even more powerful than the Card Mistress, his sister. She may have Clow Reed-sama's cards and made them her own, but Touya's powers were created by his own free will. His powers may be based on Reed-sama's powers, but they have manifested on their own in him." She brushed Touya's hair out of his sleeping eyes, but then fell back to the way they were. "One must learn how to and train to control one's power. This is what I was fated to do. I was forced to create a monster, and then train the slayer to defeat him. Two weeks ago, Kinomoto- sama wouldn't have been able to help Meilin-sama in anyway. Now, he can."  
  
Korein waved a hand over Touya's closed eyes, letting it glow a sweet mellow blue color. Touya started to groan and opened his eyes as Syaoran watched silently. As soon as Touya's vision focused on Syaoran, Touya jumped up and grabbed his younger sister's fiancé by the collar.  
  
"Take me back to her, now." Touya eyes did not waver as he stared into deep amber. "I need to be with her now."  
  
Syaoran's eyes narrowed, "Why should I? You abandoned everyone. You abandoned her. Why should I take you back when you are the one that left in the first place?"  
  
Syaoran's glare was intense, but it did not faze Touya. "Why should I have to prove myself to you? Just take me to h-"  
  
"Because I had to prove myself to you for Sakura's sake!" Syaoran eyes shook with somewhat anger and determination, "Do you know what happened to Meilin when you left? She curled up into a ball and fell asleep! That's not all!" He looked at Touya's waiting face and made his voice into a whisper, "She won't wake up."  
  
Touya fiercely let go of Syaoran and turn his back to him, raking his hair with his hand, "You think I don't know what she is going through? For two weeks I had to watch Meilin in a circle of inferno, slowly and painfully tortured. Each time her eyes open she only see an illusion, a wonderful illusion, and then its shattered! Her heart breaks each and every time! All you see is her sleeping, I see her going through an endless torture!"  
  
Silence overtook the room as Korein witnessed this very intense exchange quietly and calmly.  
  
"Do you love her," Syaoran asked quietly, not breaking eye contact. Touya eyes faltered slightly as Korein hid a subtle smile with her hand.  
  
"That is none of your business, Li," Touya said turning his back and settling himself on a chair.  
  
"I believe it IS my business," Syaoran growled, voice increasing.  
  
"I don't care what you believe!" Touya snapped.  
  
"THEN IT IS MY BUSINESS! IT'S A FACT!"  
  
Touya looked at Syaoran with an irritated look on his face, "And why is that?"  
  
"Why was it your business when I was in love with Sakura? Why did I have to admit it to you before I can even admit it to herself?"  
  
"Why do you think? She's my younger sister!"  
  
Syaoran crossed his arms satisfied, "Exactly. And Meilin is my cousin, my ex-fiancée, which qualifies her to be close enough to me like she is MY sister. Do you love her or not?" Touya and Syaoran broke out into a staring contest, that is, until Touya looked away, declaring Syaoran the winner, and letting him know the answer to his question. "See, you do. You always did."  
  
Korein decided to cut in the conversation, "Of course, Li-sama. When did he not love her? Of course, I got his answer out of him quicker than you did, but still . . ." She smiled and bowed her head slightly in respect. "Now, don't you think it is time that the two of you return? Meilin-sama is waiting."  
  
Touya looked up at the mention of her name. He stood up quickly and ran out of the door. As he ran, white wind started to pick up around him, swirling around him and then finally, he disappeared.  
  
In the room, Syaoran turned to Korein. "Come with us. You are part of the clan, it's in your blood."  
  
She smiled and shook her head. "No, there is nothing there for me. I already know of my future." She grabbed his hands in hers and her hands glowed. Syaoran disappeared almost the same way as Touya. Korein rubbed her arms as if she wanted to keep warm. She slowly lowered herself onto the small mattress. Closing her eyes she slowly murmured as she dozed off, "Almost time, Gaho, almost time."  
  
  
  
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To be continued . . . 


	12. His Return

His Return  
  
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Sakura sat next to Meilin's bed as she slept. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. The auburn haired girl grabbed a cool cloth and pressed it against Meilin's head, dabbing away the sweat. She stroked Meilin's hair to try to wake her gently. It was in vain.  
  
"Poor Meilin," Sakura sighed, glancing at Tomoyo who was sketching the sad scene before her. Tomoyo looked up and tried to give a smile, but soon it fell back into a sad frown. Nakuru was in her true form, lying stretched out on the floor, watching.  
  
Yelen came into the room pale with worry and heartache. She looked sadly at Meilin and brushed away the hair that was on her face. "No word from your brother, "Ying Fa?" Sakura just shook her head. "The Elders were banned today. They concealed information that put Syaoran and Meilin in danger, which put everyone who was close to them in danger as well." Yelen kissed Meilin's hair, "The Elders wanted to transfer Touya's powers into Gaho, which is why they decided they wanted the marriage and why they wanted to kill the baby child. They knew of Gaho's intentions. Instead of preventing the chaos, they helped it." The woman's voice shook with anger, "If it wasn't for them then this wouldn't have happened!"  
  
Nakuru looked up from the floor. For once, she was being serious. "Yelen-sama. You are the one who believed things were meant to be. You are a woman of destiny. Meilin was destined to go through this and the Elders were destined to be shamed for life. Meilin-sama will come out of this and Touya will return."  
  
Yelen shook her head, "I never imagined this would happen. Everything was supposed to be different. How could you know that my niece will pull this? How could you know that Touya will return to her, help her?"  
  
Nakuru gave a week smile, "Because, Yelen-sama, it is meant to be, it is destined to happen one way or another whether it is in this life time or another." She rested her head back on the pillow, which was on the ground. "If this never happened, Meilin-sama would still be miserable and Touya- sama would still be hurting himself loving Yukito-sama. Meilin and Touya would've never met or fought or ever fell in love. The child existing in Meilin wouldn't be there." Yelen only stared at the guardian and then turn back to Meilin.  
  
"Do not worry, Niece," she whispered, "He will return, but not for us, for you. He loves you, he will return," she said slowly at the end, taking in Nakuru's words into consideration. "He loves you."  
  
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"Do you accept?"  
  
"Take your proposal and shove it up your ass!"  
  
Another day, another attempt for her love; it was pathetic. He must've asked a million times by now. Her head whipped to the side with a bruising cheek. The raven-haired girl looked up at the angry figure above her.  
  
"I warned you, my flower." He grabbed her chin and forced her head up, "My, oh so delicate flower," he was squeezing hard, "My patience is running out with you. How many hits can you take without dying?"  
  
Meilin smiled smugly, "How about this, you take a huge amount of power and throw it at me in one blow. Blast me to smithereens so you can find some other pregnant girl to force her hand into marriage. That way, you can move on and I will finally get a break from your DESPERATE, ANNOYING, USELESS proposals!"  
  
Gaho smacked her across the face once more, splitting her lip. She suckled on it to stop the bleeding. "One hit turned into ten. Ten turned into thirty. I don't like how this is going" His voice held an ultimatum.  
  
"Wow, Sheng," Meilin snapped at him, "I didn't know your mind was sick enough to count how many times you hit me! And to think, you can't even remember what hole your dick goes into!" Meilin was smacked again, she only laughed, "So how many times was that, Gaho? The 65th?" He kept hitting her, yelling at her to keep quiet until the words 'yes' comes out of her mouth. She kept counting, "66th, 67th, 68th . . ." Was Gaho insane? Or was she insane? She could've stopped this abuse from the very start, but she didn't. Maybe she was insane. Two weeks of torture must be finally doing something to her.  
  
Gaho yelled out angrily and frustrated, "WHY WON'T YOU SAY YES!" He stood up and pulled her up by the hair. "SAY YES!"  
  
Meilin spat at him, "Maybe I don't want to!"  
  
He threw her down in disgust. "That is it. It's because of that damn Kinomoto boy. I'll take care of this. You will accept because he will die." With a toss of his robes he stalked away, allowing the vines to wrap around Meilin once more suspending her in the air.  
  
"No," Meilin whimpered, "Don't hurt him."  
  
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"Tomo-chan," Sakura said worried, "Where is my little wolf? He's been gone for more than 5 hours."  
  
Tomoyo looked up at her best friend who was sitting across from her in the library, wringing the life out of a small worn green teddy bear in her lap. It was her Syaoran bear from their senior high school year when Syaoran came back from Hong Kong. She smiled. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan, he'll be here, I'm sure."  
  
The emerald-eyed woman started to protest, "But it's been five -"  
  
"Sakura," Tomoyo said, "He'll be here."  
  
Eriol walked in with a stressed out Fujitaka. "Is Xiao Lang here yet?"  
  
"No," Sakura said sadly. Fujitaka sighed as Sakura's distress.  
  
"Don't worry, Sakura," he said adjusting his glasses, "He'll be here any minute now."  
  
At that moment a sky blue flash filled the room and Syaoran was standing there, utterly confused. Sakura jumped up from her seat and hugged him as everyone else in the library stared at him, not knowing exactly what to say.  
  
"Uh," Syaoran looked around.  
  
Sakura pressed a cool hand to his forehead, "Are you alright? You were gone for a while. How'd you get here? You didn't take the cards with you." Sakura made a slight sound, "Why is this so confusing right now?" Fujitaka just chuckled at this child like display from his daughter.  
  
Syaoran suddenly sat down, "One moment I'm looking through a shop and some old lady come to me and pulled me into her home. And then -" He leaped up from his seat suddenly and started to sprint for the stairs. Everyone followed. This was getting more and more confusing by the second. The chocolate haired boy stopped in front of Meilin's door, which was wide open.  
  
As they peered inside, they were overwhelmed with what they saw.  
  
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She was burning up.  
  
Her hair was drenched with sweat.  
  
He lips were quivering.  
  
Her skin was far too pale.  
  
Her hands were cold.  
  
She seemed like she was sleeping.  
  
But he knew better.  
  
She was being tortured.  
  
Tortured, because of that whoreson bastard.  
  
"Mei, what is he doing to you?" Touya whispered. He placed his hand on hers and kissed his forehead, "Fight him. Don't let him take you away from me. I'll be there with you soon." Tears started to escape Meilin's sleeping eyes.  
  
"No," Meilin whimpered, "Don't hurt him."  
  
Touya squeezed her hand and rubbed the back of it, trying to calm her down. He ran his fingered lightly over her eyelids, wishing that they would just open and look at him with their ruby garnet hue. "I'll kill him, Mei, for you, I will kill him." There were footsteps at the door. Looking up Touya guiltily looked at the group who was staring at him quietly, with suppressed feelings of over joy. Sakura couldn't hold it in. She ran towards her older brother and hugged him around the waist.  
  
"Onii-chan! You're back!" She squealed with delight as Touya smiled slightly.  
  
"Of course, I'm back Kaiju. Where else would I be?" Touya suddenly winced as she stomped on his foot.  
  
"I'm not a monster!"  
  
Touya chuckled softly, "Of course." He turned to Meilin and then back to Sakura. "Give me your mirror card, Sakura, please." She only nodded and took out her Sakura cards and handing The Mirror to him. "Mirror card, release."  
  
The card shone brightly and a woman in long flowing robes and hair emerged. Her skin shone with a sea greenish blue color, as the mirror in her hand reflected the light coming from the window. She smiled brightly at Touya, mimicking Sakura's happy expression. It suddenly turned to a confused one when she saw Touya's serious stature.  
  
"Is something wrong?" the mirror asked, voice echoing throughout the room, filling each person with a warm sensation.  
  
Touya led her to Meilin. Affectionately, he smoothed over Meilin's hair, "I need to get inside of her dream." Mirror frowned.  
  
"Dream already tried for our mistress. It bounced her powers back," Mirror said a little sad she couldn't help Touya.  
  
"Tell them to try again," Touya said not taking his eyes off of Meilin, "This time, with me." Mirror gave him an unsure look as she closed her eyes. The deck in Sakura's bag started to glow and circled around mirror, shocking the hell out of Sakura who didn't expect things to be flying out of her clothing. In a blinding flash, the chosen cards came into their true forms.  
  
Sword.  
  
Dash.  
  
Dream.  
  
Fly.  
  
Power.  
  
"Why are these out? I only wished for the Dream?" Touya blinked as the cards except for Dream went back to their card forms and floated into his hands. He looked up and now instead of only Sakura, Syaoran, Fujitaka, Eriol, and Tomoyo, he stared into the eyes of Yelen, whose fawn eyes were filled with relief. The next thing she did surprised everyone.  
  
She hugged him motherly.  
  
"You came back for her. My niece, you came back for my niece." Her eyes began to fill with tears, "You must understand how important Meilin and Xiao Lang are to me. I'm so relieved you came back for her." She pulled away from this embrace.  
  
"Of course, Li-san," Touya said smiling reassuringly, "You, must understand how much Meilin means to me as well." He kneeled by Meilin with the cards in his hands. "I'm coming, Meilin." Slowly he bent over and pressed his lips against her feverish ones. He felt pulled in abruptly and opened his eyes. It was dark and the grass crumbled underneath his feet. There was a huge bon-fire in front of him. There was a small figure in the sky with vines leading up to her. "Meilin," he murmured.  
  
There was an insane laugh coming from behind Touya. He slowly turned around and saw Gaho. He was smirking proudly, which turned into a nasty scowl.  
  
"Welcome to my kingdom."  
  
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To be continued . . . 


	13. Battle for the Greatest Prize

Battle for the Greatest Prize  
  
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"Welcome to my kingdom."  
  
Touya growled at the sight before him, Gaho Sheng, smug as ever. There was a great power illuminating off of him. The amount of time he has spent in the dreamscape did him a whole lot of good. He seemed healthy and much more powerful.  
  
"I'm just guessing you're here for my dragoness?" Gaho asked in a rude manner. Touya growled possessively. Gaho has claimed Meilin to be his.  
  
"And since when, Sheng, was Meilin ever yours?"  
  
Gaho smirked. "Since the day she decided to move on and give her love and life to me under contract!" Suddenly, the vines started to unravel. Slowly, the figure in the sky came down, revealing Meilin. She seemed different. She seemed . . . not Meilin. Gaho reached out an arm and Meilin curled up to him closely. He smirked at Touya who was watching confused, "Like I've said, she moved onto me."  
  
Touya shook his head, "No."  
  
"Yes, Kinomoto," Gaho laughed, "Why do you think Meilin slept on and on in the real world? Because I was forcing her to stay? No." he shook his head. "She didn't want to wake up to you. She hated you for leaving her and I picked up the pieces without her protest!"  
  
"NO!" Touya suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of Gaho, with his hand grasping tightly around Sheng's neck, closing any air passage to his lungs. The rival only started to laugh and Meilin moved away quietly. "Fight to the finish," he finally said, "For Meilin." Gaho laughed again.  
  
"Fight to the finish, Kinomoto? That, I didn't expect for you to challenge, but if it's a fight you want," Gaho's hands started to glow that trademark sick brown orange color and blasted Touya back, "It's a fight you will get." Touya recovered quickly without any scars injuring his body. He watched as Gaho pulled Meilin towards him and kissed her passionately on the lips while still staring at Touya. This angered him. The sword card suddenly appeared right in front of him and he activated its power.  
  
"Sword! Come to my aid!" he called out as the card glowed and instead of one, two swords emerged from the card and was placed in his hands. Touya stood in a fighting stance and waited, beckoning Gaho to try to make the first hit. He only scowled and pushed Meilin away. She only recovered before she hit the ground and quietly stood by him. Touya frowned. This was not like her.  
  
In Gaho's hands, two swords emerged from inside his hands. He started to charge at Touya and the war has begun. He swooped down and struck Touya in the side causing first blood. Touya scowled as he grabbed his side in pain. Gaho smiled, "This will be fun." He lunged at Touya, but missed. He was gone.  
  
Where did he-  
  
Gaho suddenly felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. Looking down at it, a shard blade pieced through it. This made him laugh, and laugh, and laugh. Turning around he threw him back about twenty feet. Still laughing, Gaho walked over to the Touya who was still on the ground struggling to get up. He never anticipated that Gaho would be this much more powerful. Gaho kneeled over Touya. He shoved the sword in his shoulder out to show Touya that he was indestructible.  
  
"It's funny," he drawled, "How you came all the way to China, probably in love with some other pathetic soul, then suddenly fall in love again." He laughed as Touya narrowed his eyes. "Then she abandons you for your rival. This is very dramatic. Deep inside you know she can never love you. This so call love can never work between you two. If one loves the other, the other leaves. You now love her and she left you. Can't you see? Even if you win this battle, she will never love you."  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
He's here.  
  
Wait, he's here?  
  
How . . .  
  
Meilin opened her eyes. She felt cool as if it was raining and the fare around her was put out. No, it was still there. She looked around confused. 'Where is he? I feel him here. Why isn't he here with me?' she thought sadly. It's been too long, maybe only a few weeks or so in reality, but she was trapped in the dreamscape. Gaho could make it seem like an eternity and a day.  
  
As her vision focus over the fumes from the flames, she looked down at the ground and stifled a gasp. Gaho was down there, with Touya. There was someone else, some one very familiar to her. 'No . . .' It was her? How could that be? She struggled with the tight vines as she saw Gaho kissing the imposter version of her as Touya watched. She observed the look on Touya's face. He was angry, and sad. 'No, please, look past it and see the truth. She's not me, please,' she mentally begged as she bit her bottom lip still struggling with the vines. 'Touya, don't believe what you see. It's an illusion.'  
  
Something appeared in front of Touya, a card. Sword? Meilin squirmed in her position, angry. Touya wasn't ready for Gaho. Gaho became too strong he would die. Meilin felt hot tears stinging her eyes. She wanted to be down there with him so bad. She wanted to help him. She let the tears fall. She wanted to leave this hellhole, with him. But that won't happen, not unless she helps him.  
  
Gaho said something she couldn't hear. He mimicked Touya's moves and two jagged looking blades came out of his hands. Changing towards Touya, he struck him on the side drawing blood. She closed her eyes. She didn't want to see this. Everything stood still. There was a loud explosion that made her open her eyes. Gaho stood over him as was speaking to him in a manner Meilin knew was not good. Meilin screamed, "Touya!"  
  
Nothing. Not even one glance up at her. He couldn't hear her, so he didn't look at her. All he knew of her was that poser down there with them. Meilin bowed her head in defeat, "Touya, please help me." She let her tears fall as she saw Gaho suddenly beat down on him, Touya not reacting to him attacks. "No, don't die."  
  
She struggled once again with the vines violently. "TOUYA!" she screamed, "GET UP! DAMN IT, GET UP!" Her tears slowly fell onto the vines. The vines cringed away from the salty tears, loosening her. "TOUYA!" she was screaming with all her might. "GET UP! GET UP!" Her hands glowed red, blasted the vines away from her. She was at least one hundred feet high. Slowly she fell and she cried out.  
  
The fly card suddenly appeared in front of her and without asking any questions she called out to, "Fly! Grant me wings!" She suddenly halted in the air, crimson wings sprouted from her shoulder blades. She started to dive for the ground.  
  
"Fight him," she whispered, "Stay alive."  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
Touya didn't move a muscle. He couldn't be right. His eyes started to fill with angry tears. "LIAR!" Touya's hands glowed golden and a small explosion flipped Gaho onto his back. He took the sword card and positioned it over his chest. Gaho only laughed.  
  
"Lie?" he mocked, "Me? Then why are you angry, Kinomoto? Why are you angry if you 'know' what I said is not true?" He laughed, "Deep inside you know Meilin doesn't love you. She never has. You're just a rebound boy!" Gaho gagged as Touya squeezed his neck tightly. Gaho continued. "She loves me, and guess what? She would do anything for me."  
  
Meilin suddenly appeared in front of them, with a sword positioned over her to plummet into her abdomen.  
  
"Kill yourself!" Gaho yelled out. Meilin nodded and sank the blade into her middle. Touya yelled out and jumped off of Gaho, catching Meilin as she fell. Her eyes were empty as she bled. Her skin was so cold and she didn't, she wouldn't, move.  
  
"Meilin," Touya whispered, "Wake up." She didn't. She was dead. Gaho laughed at Touya, who was still, kneeling there over the dead body.  
  
"What did I say? I was right. Even you have to admit that." Gaho kicked Touya in the face and he fell. Touya didn't do anything. Again and again Gaho started to beat on Touya, mostly using magic. Still he did nothing. Was there any point? Meilin was dead and to think, he thought she . . .  
  
Touya suddenly looked up. He heard something, something very faint. He heard his name called out by a familiar voice. It told him to get up, to fight. What, who was calling him?  
  
"Last words, Kinomoto? This is getting quite boring. I want to finish this." Touya didn't say anything, just trying to find the source of the voice. Gaho angrily glared at him, "What are you staring at! Look at me!" Gaho struck Touya across the face, but he took no heed to it, he just kept staring at the sky. "Look at me!" Gaho started to glow with a sick orange. His aura grew larger and larger. He was aiming all of him power to kill off Touya.  
  
Suddenly, he saw an angel with red wings. It looked like . . . Meilin? Just as Gaho released his power, she flew right between them. A massive explosion made him fly backwards. Touya suddenly saw her lying on the ground, wings and all. She was breathing, she was alive, then, who was that dead? He rushed over to her and picked her up as she breathed hard.  
  
She didn't open her eyes, "I'm the real one. She's not real. I'm Meilin." She opened her eyes; only to stare into Touya's wide brown ones, filled with confusion and concern. She gave him a sad smile with her eyes misting over, "What took you so damn long to come get me?" Touya snuffled her into a hug, "You stupid bastard. You're late."  
  
"I know," Touya murmured. He just kept holding her. Not knowing, their necklaces started to glow and connected, letting their red and gold auras intertwine. Gaho angrily walked towards them, with two deadly swords in his hands. He had a fatal look in his eyes as he walked. The couple became oblivious to him as he crept up behind Touya. He raised the swords and struck it to kill Touya, but he turned and dodged, disconnecting the two necklaces. To his horror, it struck Meilin. She cried out in anguish and pain as she fell to the ground.  
  
Touya yelled out and picked her back up into his arms. Her breathing became irregular as her eyes started to flutter. He leaned over her and hugged her tightly. "Mei." He shook her gently, trying to keep her fluttering eyes open. "Mei, keeps your eyes open." He watched as her eyes struggle to keep open, to still be able to see his face of perfection, even with the blooding scars from this battle. He kept gently shaking her, "Meilin, please, just try to keep them open."  
  
Meilin smiled as she weakly placed a hand on the side of his worried face, "I'm trying." Slowly, her fluttering eyes closed, her last breath leaving her body. Touya froze as he stared at her. It was like she's sleeping . . .  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
To be continued . . . 


	14. And We Can Go Home

And We Can Go Home  
  
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They watched over the two sleeping bodies.  
  
They should have peaceful looks of slumber on their faces, but no, they were looks of anguish, torture, and pain. Sakura bit her lip, feeling like she wanted to cry. Her emerald eyes quivered and were edged with tears. She was holding Meilin's hand.  
  
"I can't take this!" she cried out and fell off her chair and collapsed on her floor. Syaoran quickly went down by her side as she wept.  
  
"What's wrong?" he whispered softly into her ear.  
  
"I hate this! I want Meilin HERE. I want Touya HERE! Not there. I want them happy here. I can't do anything about it. They are still in there with that, that monster, and all I can do is sit here and hope."  
  
Syaoran smiled weakly and gathered her into his arms, digging into her pocket and pulled out a card. She sniffled and looked at the card he took out of her pocket. "Yes," he murmured into her hair. "All we can do is hope." Sakura leaned back onto his comforting frame and placed her hand over his, staring at the card in their hands. She could feel him nod as his chin rested on top of her head.  
  
"Hope," he said strongly, "Come to our aid!"  
  
It started to glow, brighter and brighter as each second passed.  
  
Outside in the garden, Eriol and Tomoyo were slowly walking side by side, they suddenly felt warm inside, felt the slightest bit of . . . hope. They looked up at the sky, hugging each other closer, "Hope," they murmured.  
  
Inside, Fujitaka and Yelen were silently drinking their tea. Suddenly, a tingling sensations spread throughout their bodies starting from the nape of their necks. They looked up at each other and questionably and then clasped hands, "Hope"  
  
The four guardians were in the library, researching. The hair on their necks prickled as they were washed in a sweet feeling. Nakuru place down her book and both the Moon guardians were enveloped in two giant wings, turning into their true forms. The beast guardians closed they eyes and stood up, already in their sun forms. "Hope."  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
Dead.  
  
No, she can't be, he wouldn't allow her to be dead. She wasn't allowed to die, not without him. She wasn't supposed to leave him like he did her. He came back for her. She was supposed to stay with him, by his side. Forever.  
  
Dead?  
  
"No," he whispered softly, "I refuse to believe it." He brushed her raven hair away from her pale face. "Meilin, wake up." His voice was harsh and demanding, "Wake up, Meilin, wake up!" His voice became softer, "Please?" Two tears escaped from his eyes.  
  
She didn't wake up. She was . . . she was . . .  
  
Sleeping.  
  
He couldn't bring himself to say it. He couldn't bring himself to think it. She was dead?  
  
He heard chuckling above him  
  
Touya's face became cold as stone. As he gently laid her down on the ground, he rose and turned around angrily facing Gaho, who was smiling smugly at him. His twisted smile was "innocently" played.  
  
"Oops? Did I do that?" he said spitting venom.  
  
Touya slowly got up and turned around facing Gaho. His face was expressionless and he whispered, "Sakura Cards come to my aid." Wind started to violently pick up and less in ten seconds, all fifty-three of the Sakura Cards surrounded him, gleaming brightly. Touya's eyes suddenly turned gold as he advanced toward Gaho, who was hesitantly walking backwards.  
  
"You killed her," he whispered deadly.  
  
Gaho paled. Something was different with Touya. He seemed . . . more powerful. With each step, his eyes became a darker gold color. His anger, his sorrow, his torture, his pain; it all shone through. Meilin. He killed Meilin and now he will suffer.  
  
"What are you going to do, Kinomoto," Gaho pathetically tried to sneer, "I can't die! You know I can't. You can't kill me."  
  
Touya kept advancing towards his enemy, like a predator and its prey. "Are you sure about that?"  
  
"Killing me isn't going to bring your beloved back," Gaho spat.  
  
Touya started to chuckled darkly, "But it'll make me feel better for a while, wouldn't it?  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
Meilin opened her eyes and gasped. She saw her own body. She saw Touya, over her body, crying? "No," she breathed out.  
  
"Li-sama."  
  
She turned around and saw a motherly woman. The storekeeper.  
  
"You, the storekeeper."  
  
"Korein, at your service Li-sama." Korein bowed respectively.  
  
Meilin was now ignoring the storekeeper. She was too busy staring at her body, dead. She looked at Touya and started to silently cry, "Why can't I be happy?"  
  
"Li-sa-"  
  
"No!" Meilin yelled, "It's not fair! Everyone else had obstacles in their life, but why are mine so impossible to overcome? How am I supposed to overcome DEATH?!" Korein rushed over to Meilin and gathered her up in her arms.  
  
"I'm sorry Meilin-sama. You do not understand how sorry I am to cause you this pain. I am the mother of this monster that has caused you this torment. I am a very large part of this pain, and you do not even know how sorry I am." A tear trickled down Korein's cheek. "And the same thing goes to you little one," she said, putting her hand over Meilin's stomach.  
  
Meilin cried, "My baby, she never even experienced life."  
  
Korein looked down at Meilin guiltily. "Meilin-sama," she said quietly, "What would you do, if I told you that you can be with him again? To let your child experience life? You let you live once more?"  
  
Meilin's breath caught in her throat, "I would ask you what's the price for such a miracle."  
  
"Half of my own life-force," Korein said quietly.  
  
Meilin looked up at the elder woman, eyes full of hope. She wanted this so much, but to take half of someone's life just for her needs, it was selfish. How could she even ask?  
  
"If you want this, do not hesitate, Meilin-sama. You were controlled all your life. You were not allowed to control your own destiny, your own will. You weren't even allowed to choose the one you wanted to love, even if you did fall in love with Kinomoto-sama. Anything that meant anything to you was taken away from you." The storekeeper looked away, "Even Touya-sama."  
  
Meilin's eyes slowed their tears.  
  
Korein continued quietly, "Is that what you want, Meilin-sama?" She stroked Meilin's hair, "To be with you lover? To let your child live as well?"  
  
The raven-haired beauty nodded, still tear stained. Korein nodded and smiled, placing her hands on her heart. Slowly, her hand pulled away from her chest, a sky blue light pulling out of her chest. Pushing it towards Meilin, it started to turn a brilliant red. Suddenly, it exploded into Meilin's chest.  
  
She gasped, feeling the air flood into her lungs, as her hear started to pump once more. She could feel her skin start to knit together, leaving only a fainted scar. Darkness started to surround her as her spirit started to return to her body. Before completely blacking out, she saw Korein fall towards the ground weakly.  
  
"Gaho will not win. You are the Lady of Touya. You both will claim victory," Korein said softly, but with strong emotion in her voice.  
  
"Thank you," Meilin whispered.  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
Touya threw only half of his force as Gaho, who weakly attempted to black his powerful attacks. Touya was admitting a dark gold energy. His anger, his sorrow, his searing pain, was all mixed in with the idea of vengeance. Seeing a small opening chance for an attack, Gaho threw a ball of sickly orange light at Touya. His eye s widened at what happened next.  
  
Touya caught the ball, extinguishing it. Smoke from the destroyed weapon rose from his hand, throwing gold shards back at him. He successfully dodged all of the shards, except one, which pierced his shoulder.  
  
He gritted his teeth, staring at Touya angrily. He only smirked right back. "Well, Sheng? Where is your great power? Where is that immortal element you love to brag about so much?" The Sakura cards, still surrounding him started to shoot straight towards. In the moonlight of the dreamscape, the cards gave a sharp gleam and passed through Gaho.  
  
The cards' edges became sharp, returning to Touya with his blood on them. Shining brightly, they went back to their original state without the blood, guarding Touya. Gaho Sheng was grabbing his shoulder, which had blood pouring out of it.  
  
It was bleeding and hour-like seconds passed, but the wound didn't close up, making Gaho's eyes widened in fear and Touya give a venom-like smirk.  
  
Angrily, Gaho started charging towards Touya, throwing all his power at him. The card blocked the attacks and Touya started walking towards him as well. Golden shards rose from Touya's hands as they were thrown towards the advancing Gaho. They surrounded him, trapping him in a golden amber dome. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, just stare dumbly at Touya, who kept coming toward. Soon, Touya's face leaned in on the dome, looking straight at Gaho.  
  
"You killed her." The shard dome starting to shrink inwards slowly, "You killed her and you DARE to say that you LOVED her?" The dome shrank inwards again, smaller and smaller. "You trapped her here against your will, turning her safe haven into this hell, tried to kill our child," Touya paused, "And you DARED to say that you love her?"  
  
Gaho stayed silent as possible, carefully watching the sharp edges coming closer and closer to him.  
  
"Murderer," Touya finally whispered. The Sword formed into his hand, as he was about to finally shatter the dome, killing whatever was inside. Midway of slamming the blade down, he heard a soft moan. Very soft, but still he heard it.  
  
Up and down. Up and down. Touya dropped his hand and turned around seeing a figure glowing in a bright red. Up and down. Up and down. Her chest, she was, she was alive. Alive. Touya ran towards her, notice caring or even noticing that Gaho has mustered up his energy and created a small explosion, releasing him from the amber gold shard dome.  
  
Touya dropped to his knees and he leaned over her, "Meilin?"  
  
Her garnet eyes opened slowly and as her vision focused, she closed her eyes and smiled. "Touya," she breathed out.  
  
Touya gathered her up his arms, hugging her tightly, never letting her go as he crushed her to him. Meilin gathered up her strength and wrapped her arms around him as well. They were totally oblivious to anything else, including the gleaming sword in Gaho's hand as he came closer and closer.  
  
They didn't care. It was just them. Just them.  
  
Touya's necklace dangled onto hers as it slowly melding into one pendant. Touya hugged Meilin as tight as she could, not ever wanting to let him go, not ever want him to let go of his life and soul and die and the vice- versa. More and more, it glowed, making white light surround everything even more.  
  
Gaho's face became deadly pale as the darkness around them started to light up with the white glow.  
  
"What are those around your neck?"  
  
Touya stayed silent, still hugging Meilin, still surrounded by the white glow, growing brighter and brighter by the second.  
  
Gaho's patience became thin as his eyes held rage and anger, "ANSWER ME!" He started to charge toward the pair, still surrounded by white glowing light, which was glowing brighter and brighter still. "ANSWER ME!" Just as his sword was about to pierce through the Kinomoto, the light completely consumed Touya and Meilin.  
  
Gaho was suddenly blasted back by a powerful force. Through a blurry vision, he saw a ghostly vision of himself shimmer out of him, carried away by a violent wind. Blood trickling down from his forehead, he looked up, touching the blood.  
  
Two figures were floating above the ground, with their auras fuming around them. A gust of wind circled around Touya as his robes were changed into a golden traditional one while red ribbons flew out and wrapped around Meilin, replenishing her mind and body, as red battle robes were formed from the ribbons.  
  
"Your answer?" Meilin said quietly, but loud enough for Gaho to hear. "It is the result of your destruction." The fly card dissolved and shimmered around the pair, with white eagle wings sprout from their shoulder blades.  
  
Gaho paled further than possible as he stared at Meilin, "W-what did you do to me? What are you?"  
  
Touya's forte voice called out, "You immortality has left you!" His voice became soft. "And she . . . she is the Lady of Touya."  
  
A sword formed in her hands as she charged towards Gaho. Not even hesitating, he charged as well, forgetting that there is a chance of him dying. Meilin swished past him, and he froze. Looking down at his side, there was a large gash, with his own blood gushing out. "No," he whispered to himself. "I am Gaho Sheng. I shall always be the victor." He slowly turn around at gave a wicked smile at Meilin. "Always be the victor."  
  
Mustering up the last of his power, a glowing sword appeared in front of him and shot towards Meilin. But suddenly, he felt an excruciating pain in his abdomen. He looked down again and his own sword was plunged through him. "How . . ." he muttered weakly.  
  
He saw Touya's back, shielding Meilin from harm. Meilin was engulfed into his arms, as Touya's eyes were tightly closed. He turned to face Gaho, but Gaho feel to his knees, and then plummeted towards the ground. Slowly, his body started to char black and soon turned to dust, blown away, like his immortality, by the wind.  
  
Meilin looked up at Touya, who wouldn't even blink, not daring to take his soft brown eyes off of her. She buried her face into his chest as he did the same to the crook of her neck.  
  
"Please say it's over," Meilin whispered as tears stained his golden robes. "Please say that its all done, that its finish, that we can go home." She looked up at him once more with pleading, tearful eyes, "Please?"  
  
He bent his head to kiss her hair, then her forehead, her nose, and then finally her lips, not caring that his lungs burned for air. Breaking apart he smiled gently down onto her. "It's over. It's all done and it's finished." He slightly pressed his lips onto her and led her to the cliff. The water below was peaceful and unbroken. Hugging her tightly as Meilin wrapped her arms around his waist, the walked off the cliff, falling head first into the water.  
  
Right before they plunged gracefully into the water and darkness consuming them, he murmured into her ear.  
  
"And we can go home."  
  
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To be continued . . .  
  
I'm so sorry for the delay, the VERY long delay. The story is not yet finished! I am very grateful I have very "patient" readers ^____^ like you guys! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. There is another story in the works. It is a Yue x Nakuru/Ruby Moon pairing! 


	15. The Lady of Touya

The Lady of Touya  
  
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Peach flowers fluttered everywhere while white carnations were beautifully set up around the garden. White and red ribbons were twisted around poles, giving it a heavenly stream as the wind made them fly. One had to thank the stars and Lady Luck for such a beautiful day. Soft, very soft, music played in the background, but was loud enough to be heard over the giggles of the four women who were about to come through the gates of the Li household.  
  
It was beautifully breath taking. It was paradise. It was perfect for a wedding.  
  
She closed her eyes, breathing in the graceful fragrance of the peach petals surrounding her, soothing her as her hair fluttered against her cheek. It felt nice, to have some peace after the past month's events. It felt very nice.  
  
No one trying to kill you.  
  
No one trying to hurt you.  
  
Not worrying the ones you hold dear.  
  
No one fussing over yo-  
  
"Meilin! Mei-chan! Where are you?"  
  
Gyah! Meilin almost fell out of the tree she was hiding in. Grasping a branch to hold her steady, she held her breath and hid her aura as she heard running footsteps becoming leader as they neared her.  
  
"Did you find her, Tomoyo?" asked Sakura, jogging up to her friend.  
  
Red-faced, she shook her head. "No! I told her to stay in her room while I get the pins for her dress! Ah, I swear that when I find her I'm tying her to the chair!" Suddenly Tomoyo's eyes became teary. "Where is she? Doesn't she like the dress I'm making her? Is it not pretty enough?" Sniffling, she wiped away a stray tear, a smile suddenly appearing on her face. "Ah! I can't believe that they'll really be together!" Her mood changed once again, making Sakura laugh out nervously, "Where is that girl?!"  
  
'Talk about mood-swings . . .' she thought. She then noticed the loose clothing she was wearing and already understood. Judging from how loose her outfit was, Tomoyo was probably further than her. 'Does Eriol even know?' Meilin smirked wondering.  
  
"When I find her, I'll glue her to the stupid floor!" Tomoyo yelled out, shaking an angry fist.  
  
Meilin chuckled silently from the tree. 'Like you'd ever catch me.'  
  
"Did you check Touya's room?" Sakura put a finger to her chin in thought. "She might be in there having some quality ti-" She stopped and decided not to finished her sentence. Her cheeks were flushed. "Eh, never mind . . ."  
  
In the tree, Meilin mimicked Sakura's blushed, inappropriate thoughts rushing through her head.  
  
"WAH!" Nakuru started running towards Tomoyo and Sakura, "Touya-sama is missing from his room!" The moon guardian started running farther ahead as Tomoyo groaned loudly.  
  
"Why are those two to troublesome!" she yelled out as she started running with Sakura in the opposite direction.  
  
Meilin finally let out her breath and leaned back into the tree, closing her eyes and relaxing once more, taking in the scent of the petals. A slight frown appeared on her face. Peach petals shouldn't smell like the autumn leaves of winter. or pinewood. She then notice that the tree shouldn't be as soft as it was. Gasping, she turned around as much as she could and found soft coffee eyes staring back at her, dancing with amusement.  
  
"Boo," he whispered and wrapped his arms around her waist, her back to his chest. "Kaijuu was only partially right. We just not in my room." Meilin blushed deep red, as red as her robes. They stayed like this, drinking in the comfort of each other's presence. "So. It's today."  
  
"Yea," she whispered.  
  
"I don't know what to say."  
  
Meilin looked up at him and snuggled inwards as he laid his cheek on her hair. "No words are needed are they?" She intertwined her fingers with his, noticing how small her hands were against his. Thoughts like his hands being handsome were running through her head. They were more tanned than hers, still soft even with the slight scars.  
  
Her thoughts were broken by loud giggling, causing Meilin to groan silently. The four Li sisters chatting happily away and carrying their bags walked passed the trees. They were back from England. That meant . . .  
  
"Kaho-koi, how is she?"  
  
"She's fine, Yukito. She's sleeping."  
  
A silver-haired young man passed under the tree with a woman with mahogany- brown hair. In the woman's arms was a small child. She was sleeping, but you could predict her eyes would be either silver or honey colored.  
  
Meilin could feel Touya stiffen behind her, his grasp on her hand becoming limp. Meilin heart pounded and tried to calm down. "Touya? Are you alright?" There was only silence. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to squeeze the tears forming in her ruby eyes back. It was gone. He forgot about it all. The presence of the silver-haired man took over him, pushing her existence out of her love's mind. "Touya."  
  
He finally snapped out of his trance. "Huh?"  
  
A tear trailed down her cheek and dropped on her sleeve, making a dark watermark. She thanked the sky that her back was turned, blocking his vision of her tear. "It's nothing," she whispered, only letting one more tear trail down.  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
How could you?  
  
How could you forget everything we went through just because of him?  
  
Meilin silently stood on the small stool while Tomoyo started to adjust her traditional wedding robes. Nakuru was busy trying to find the right kind of make up for her while Sakura was outside, helping Syaoran run and hide from his sisters, who apparently did not outgrow squeezing his cheeks all the while teasing him.  
  
The pain we both went through?  
  
The impossible obstacles we overcame with each other?  
  
The life we made.  
  
Am I not more than enough? Or maybe even just average of 'enough'?  
  
Is he that magnificent or a being to make you unknowingly and subtly push me away? To make you forget that I lo-  
  
"All done, Mei-chan!" Tomoyo chirped, stepping back to marvel at her creation on Meilin's figure. "You can come down now." Meilin stood still, looking straight ahead of her, dazed. After a long moment of silence, she stepped down and walked out of the room, wedding robes and all, towards the study.  
  
You said you had no regrets.  
  
But that was then. Do you regret now?  
  
Stepping into the study, she saw Kaho smiling delicately at Yukito, who was hold his child in his arms, Touya hovering over Yukito, staring down at him and the baby stiffly. The image of Touya's expression was heartbreaking. There were signs of utter sadness and anger as he looked at Yukito with his chocolate eyes.  
  
The love of a red dragon is nothing compared to the one of a pure-white snow bunny, is it?  
  
A tear streaked down her cheek and she cursed herself for releasing it and the tear for existing. Meilin ran out of the room silently, threatening her own tears that if they even dared to come out, they wouldn't have a host to cry from. Meilin kept running, running past her mother, her cousins, and then Eriol; who was trying to expose Syaoran to his sisters, just running away.  
  
She came upon the peach tree she always resided in when she felt the world was trying to push her off a cliff. It was the one where she remembered how everyone was sitting in it, trying to comfort her about her arranged engagement.  
  
Leaving back against the truck after climbing onto a high branch, she bit her lip, trying not to break down. Her red wedding robes were partially ruined, a little bit torn and dirty from the roughness of the tree trunk. She closed her eyes . . . letting herself drift off.  
  
--- --- --- Dream --- --- ---  
  
She was here again, her destroyed haven. The playground was still ruined while the grass was still burnt and dead. The trees were giving off smoke. Meilin tucked her legs up to her chest, sitting at the top of the rusted replica of the Penguin slide.  
  
She bitterly laughed. How is it that the ones she always falls for are the ones that have the ability to make her cry? She buried her face into her arms. "Touya, I love you."  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
Touya looked at Yukito bitterly. Why did he have to come? He only reminded Touya of the pain he had once carried, the pain that was buried in him. The pain that was so immense, it cause pain to the ones he held tightly inside of his heart.  
  
Like Meilin.  
  
He sighed. He shouldn't be thinking this way of his best friend. They were always there for each other. Yuki was Touya's other half, but not in the sense of a lover. He could counter whatever Touya did, whether it was preventing him from killing Syaoran or any bozo that tried to hurt Sakura, much like Spinel and Keroberus. It was not Yuki's fault that he fell for Kaho.  
  
"I need to talk to you Touya," Yue stood up, handing the child over to Kaho. Understanding what her husband was about to do, she nodded and left. There was only silence between them, and Yukito was the first to break it. "I've heard," he started hesitantly, "There were complications-because of me."  
  
The coffee-eyed man raised an eyebrow, still not speaking.  
  
Yukito sighed. "You know I was never one who talked so seriously. Yue did that for me, but," he waited for his friend to cut him off, but nothing came, "You and I . . . it just can't."  
  
Touya narrowed his eyes, but not in a threatening matter. "I've already moved on, Yukito."  
  
The snow bunny became startled, "O-oh? I-"  
  
He didn't listen, something else was going through his head. Sad emotions, the ones a person would cry to. He drowned out his surroundings and focused on the single voice that spoke to him.  
  
'Touya, I love you.'  
  
His head snapped up. Meilin. There was a feeling of remorse in those words that echoed through his head.  
  
"Touya? Are you listening? Touya. Touya!" Yuki finally shouted, but still he paid no heed to his best friend. He needed to get to Meilin. Turning on his heel, he started to leave the room, completely forgetting that they were in the middle of a 'conversation'. He completely forgot that Yuki was there. He needed to get Meilin. She was . . . sad.  
  
His slow walk eventually broke out into a run, reaching out with his aura; gold searching for red . . .  
  
He found it. A soft red making the peach tree glow gently. Climbing up gently, he found Meilin curled up in her slightly battered wedding robes, sleeping. There were traces of tears on her cheeks, and Touya couldn't help but wrapped his arms around her and just stay here in the tree forever.  
  
She didn't wake up when he hugged her.  
  
Alarmed, he closed his eyes, resting his cheek on its rightful place on top of Meilin's hair. She wouldn't come to him. She was sad, feelings of anguish overwhelmed her because of him. She won't wake up to him, because she doesn't know that he lov-  
  
"Meilin," he whispered. "Wake up. Wake up to me."  
  
Her eyes fluttered, but they stayed closed. She didn't wake.  
  
Kissing the top of her head, he picked her up and set her on his lap, burying his head into the crook of her neck.  
  
"Then I will come to you."  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
Meilin was now standing on top of the slide, looking out at the scene before her. Her haven was destroyed. Her lover was taken away by a bunny. "Who wouldn't choose a bunny over a dragoness?" she asked to no one in particular.  
  
She suddenly felt two arms around her waist, making her feel warm. A low whisper echoed into her ear. "I wouldn't choose a bunny over a dragoness."  
  
Twisting her neck up, she saw warm, sorry, coffee-eyes staring down at her in an apologetic manner. He kissed her neck innocently, causing her to lean her back into him, letting his words soothe her.  
  
"But a snow bunny is more delicate and pure," she argued.  
  
Another kiss on her neck, "Too delicate, I can break that bunny easily. Too pure, my love would corrupt him."  
  
"A snow bunny is graceful," she said quietly, "His softness could give anyone comfort."  
  
His kisses trailed up to her jaw line, lingering in a blissful way. "That bunny may be graceful, but the dragoness is majestic. Her fire would keep me warm."  
  
"But the snow bunny is Yukito," she whispered almost silently. Tears prickled at her eyes.  
  
"Yes, I know." Touya firmly turned her around. "But the snow bunny has a very great flaw to him." He leaned over to her smaller frame; kissing her forehead, between her eyes, her nose . . . the coffee-eyed boy paused over her lips as her eyes stared right at him. "The snow bunny is not you. You are the Lady of Touya."  
  
Just as Touya was about to lean in, Meilin crushed her lips onto his, catching him by surprise. He smiled into the kiss and before he wished it to be, the kiss has ended. There was a cute scowl on Meilin's face. Balling her fist, she punched him square in the chest and smiled.  
  
"You're becoming too soft for a Dragoness' lover."  
  
White wind swirled around them, causing them to leave this ruined dream world. Meilin wrapped her arms tightly around Touya, never wanting him to leave. The feeling of being protected and the need to protect him overwhelmed her, stronger than any hatred she has felt, sadness she has experienced, or love she has given to another.  
  
She couldn't help repeat his words over and over in her head. 'The snow bunny is not you.'  
  
Meilin's rosy lips curled into a happy smile. "I am the Lady of Touya."  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
To be continued . . .  
  
Ack! So sorry I didn't update in forever. Most of the readers probably even forgot about this story. Oh well, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Did I mention I'm sorry? Just to let you know, the story "Monarch of the Sky" has been deleted. After reading it, I hated it. Sorry for those who actually read it and liked it.  
  
Oh well, at least I started on a new one. Not posted up yet, but will be. It's untitled for now, but it's a Spinel x Keroberus pairing. Weird? Well then go screw yourself. Haha, no I'm kidding, but it is MY story, and I want to make an SpxK pairing.  
  
Epilogue is next . . . 


	16. Rebirth

Epilogue - Rebirth  
  
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"Oy! You baka mage! Get back here! I'm not finished talking you! Get back here, you dobe!" A small girl ran after the boy who pulled on her ponytail. "You are so evil! Get back here, Blue Boy!"  
  
She was loud.  
  
"I'm going to give you the pain of a thousand years, you dobe!"  
  
She was confident.  
  
"I thought I told you to stop pulling my hair! You—" She suddenly tripped on her peach colored robes, falling to the ground. Her robes ripping, she scraped her knee, and from the pain her eyes filled with tears of pain. Sitting up with her knees up against her chest she bowed her head to hide them.  
  
"Li-chan? Hey, hey? Why did you stop chasing me?" A small boy slightly older than the little girl peered out of the bush he was hiding in. His cerulean blue eyes caught the vision of the curled up figure of the small girl. "Ah . . . are you okay?" The little boy pushed his way out of his hiding spot and kneeled by the girl.  
  
"Don't look at me," she sniffed.  
  
He blinked, confused. "But why?"  
  
"I don't want you to see me crying. Only mommy and daddy are allowed to see me cry. Go away, Hiirigazawa-kun."  
  
"It'll be okay," he patted her head and then cupped her face with both hands so he could see her. Her hair was a dark, onyx-brown, red ruby eyes brimming with tears. "Li-chan is strong." He looked at her knee and saw her scrape. Smiling he kissed her knee and looked back up at her. There was an evil glint in her eyes.  
  
BAM!  
  
The next moment, the boy was flat on the ground with a lump on his head with the girl over his dusting her hands off. "I told you once before, dobe! Stop pulling my hair." The little boy stood up rubbing his head with a nervous grin. She only pouted, crossing her arms.  
  
"Aw, Li-chan, you're no fun."  
  
"Fun? Does this feel fun?" she leaned over and pulled his ear, dragging him inside the house.  
  
"Ow! Li-chan! Ow! Stop it, that's hurts!" he whined.  
  
The little girl suddenly stopped, feeling a very familiar aura pulling at hers, calling her to it. She smiled. "Daddy is calling!" the ruby-eyed girl said happily. She whispered excitingly into the very ear he was pulling. "We have a surprise for mommy!" Kissing his cheek innocently as a short good-bye, she ran off, leaving the blushing boy to look at his feet until he was sure his pale complexion has returned.  
  
As he looked up, the young Hiirigazawa only saw the back of a running girl and smiled.  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
Nothing could make her any happier now.  
  
She had her friends.  
  
Her family.  
  
She had Touya, her lover, her husband, her one and only.  
  
And she had Ayame—her one and only daughter  
  
The obstacles, the evils that they had to face, the angst, they're all withering away from her presence. Her happiness is fulfilled in everyway known to her. Nothing can take that away. Not anymore.  
  
"What are you thinking about," Touya whispered, creeping up from behind Meilin and wrapping his arms around her waist where they always rest.  
  
The dragoness smiled, "Absolutely nothing."  
  
"It must be a wonderful nothing—" he said in a gentle sarcastic tone.  
  
Turning around she kissed his throat. "Not wonderful—just perfect."  
  
Touya gave a deep chuckle, "Dragoness—you are turning mushy on your lover, now. End of the world, maybe?" She only stuck her tongue out, causing him to smirk. "Don't present the tools unless you are going to use them." Meilin only gave him a confused look, and then stuck her tongue out again, causing him to capture her lips in a short, brief kiss.  
  
Another pair of arms hugged Meilin's legs. Her smile became wider as she looked down to the small girl that shared the features of both of them. "Ayame—I thought you were playing with Hi-kun."  
  
The little girl pouted once more, "He pulled my hair again."  
  
Meilin let out a laugh, "He likes his playmate."  
  
"Cheh!" Ayame let out a puff of air, "Well then he is a stupid boy. If you like someone you hug and kiss them like this!" The little girl pulled on her mother's robes and kissed Meilin's cheek. The young girl's mother gave a playful smirk.  
  
"Hmm, I swear I see you giving Hi-kun kisses like that all the time." Meilin eyes glinted with a subtle knowledge as her daughter stuttered an excuse only a child could think up. Meilin looked back up at Touya. "Why do I have the feeling that since both my daughter and my husband somehow caught me in their presence at the same time something is going to happen?" She raised a dainty eyebrow.  
  
Ayame tugged on her mother's robes once more smiling, finally achieving to get her mother's ear to her level. She whispered excitedly, "We have a surprise for you!" As soon as Meilin turned her head to meet her daughter's eyes, the child raised her hand carefully over Meilin's eyes.  
  
A soft peach glow surrounded her chibi hands and Meilin vision soon blurred, twirled, and then finally faded to black for a few seconds, only to regain her vision and absorb the dead surroundings that was around her.  
  
Her destroyed haven.  
  
"What—" she strangled out.  
  
"Meilin."  
  
The crimson-eyed dragoness spun around to see Touya and Ayame. Her eyes transformed into those of pain and anger. How could he do this? After all of these years, the pain finally went away and turned into something wonderful? Why must he destroy that?  
  
"Touya! How could you send me back here! How could you bring Ayame into this hell around us!" Tears formed, threatening to fall.  
  
Touya smothered her to him chest, refusing to let go, "Wait, just watch." He brought her to the ground carefully as Ayame clutched to her mother's side. Soon more figures started to form before them.  
  
A very pregnant Sakura and Syaoran stood before them with Yelen and Fujitaka smiling. Then the guardians appeared in a flash, with Eriol, Tomoyo, and their son stepping out behind them. Meilin gasped as one more figure started to form. Korein; the shopkeeper. Korein only sent a warm knowing smile her way.  
  
Soon everyone was kneeling, placing a hand on the dead grass, glowing.  
  
Slowly, fresh patches of grass sprouted everywhere as the dead trees crumble down to ashes, fresh new trees standing in its place. The playground slowly rebuilt itself and Meilin could only watch, stunned, as the clouds cleared producing a sunset sky.  
  
Her haven has returned.  
  
Along with those she loved and held dear.  
  
Touya smiled and whispered into her ear, "Do you still wish to be a child?"  
  
Meilin fought that silly smile that threatened to form on her lips. "No." She looked around as her child played with the Hiirigazawa child, then up into his eyes, glimmering, "But I want another one."  
  
"Well, then, we'll have to work on that tonight," he gave his small smirk.  
  
She leaned up against him and sighed. "You never fail to please me, my Touya," she said quietly to herself. Meilin fought another smile. "My Touya," she whispered, never failing to love the sound of those two words.  
  
Touya looked down as he heard her whisper.  
  
"Your Touya," he murmured, smile widening at her reply ("Damn straight"). Tightening his grip around her waist, he rested his chin on her hair, "My Meilin," he whispered back as the two lovers watched over the precious persons, "My Lady of Touya."  
  
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --  
  
Owari. I'm so sorry for the forever-lasting delay again! I just couldn't think of a way to end this! I think my ending pretty much sucks, but better than nothing for now. ^____^;;;  
  
Well. This is it.  
  
New story will be posted. [Suppi x Kero] Angst story ^^ 


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